Whether it is carefully framed at the Louvre, displayed in all town halls of France, whether it is made into a statue or whether all the children of this country are forced to tell it in the morning to the school. But please, that this gesture does not remain simply a moment suspended above the floor of a large Japanese room emptied of its audience by a pandemic. We’re exaggerating, it’s already become much more than that. By countering the shot of the Slovenian Klemen Prepelic to preserve the meager advantage of the Blues less than two seconds from the end of this Olympic semi-final, Nicolas Batum entered the temple of outstanding moments of French sport, by smashing the door with his big arms. Yes, just that.
Without the gesture of the Los Angeles Clippers winger, no remake of the Olympic final in Sidney against the United States in 2000. A rescue, a real one, of a story whose ugly end was coming to an end. from his nose. A ball in the hands of Luka Doncic, the NBA star of this Balkan team, for a final possession 20 seconds from time. A single point ahead (90-89) for a France which had five a good thirty seconds earlier. A French leader, Evan Fournier, expelled in the meantime for five faults. The perfect scenario of a cruel defeat. A ball which arrives in the arms of Prepelic, which rises towards the basket, and an elimination.
“When I see Prepelic doing his lay-up (Editor’s note: his double step), I tell myself it was over. And then, Nico, I don’t know where it comes from. He takes out his arm and goes into Batman mode, ”says Evan Fournier. On the bench, the spirit of the new player of the New York Knicks escaped to his childhood and a match with the youngest of Val-de-Marne against the selection of the Rhône.
“I go out on five fouls. On the bench, the last three minutes, I was in tears because I was under pressure, remembers the rear. And we end up winning on a miracle. “” This action is fantastic, supports his coach, Vincent Collet. She decides who wins and who loses this game. “
“Five years since I have not done a counter like that”
In Saitama, the miracle wears white and walks leisurely towards the media waiting for the evening hero. “So Nicolas? The captain has had time to practice his speech. The mark of adults is also to recognize the evenings when we make history and to know how to tell it. “I see Prepelic, and I do: No, I have to make this stop. He passes and there, I have the impression that I am doing the action that I did when I was younger, ”describes the winger, who does not forget to salute the reassuring presence of Rudy Gobert, on the rebound in the stride.
“It must be five years since I did a counter like that,” he continues. I used to do it often before. I let him pass and caught up with him at the circle in my Portland years. I knew I was going to get him, take him on the board, that he was going to do a lay-up. This is an action I was doing some time ago. I can’t explain how it came back. “
Neither do we, but whatever. The Norman did not play against Slovenia the best match of his international career started in 2009, but released the gesture which we risk talking to him until more thirst. The prospect does not displease him. “I had good matches with the France team, but I have the impression that we remember too much of my rotten matches,” he says, with a small smile. My three throws (Editor’s note: in the semi-final of Euro 2015, at home against Spain), Spain in 2016 (at the OJ), the semi-final against Argentina (at the 2019 Worlds). Does this counter erase everything? Please, yes. I think it catches up with me from that. I had to do it. “
The France of basketball, and undoubtedly well beyond, thanks the one who had carried the collective in quarter against Italy. Its moment of grace sends the Blues to the Olympic final against the United States for the third time in its history, after 1948 and 2000. A historic moment. Made possible by a man who said no to the inevitable.
