NBA
One French national team member has dreams of playing in the NBA
Zach Wolpin is an NBA and NFL expert who's been betting on the league for over three years now. Wolpin has been a fan of the NBA and has been watching for a decade and a half. He covers the latest news and stories surrounding the league daily. His passion in life is watching sports and being able to share that through his sports writing. He has written about the NBA and other sports leagues through various media outlets over the years like Sir Charles In Charge, G-Men HQ, and TAP into South Plainfield. Before he became an NBA News Writer, Wolpin attended Montclair State University where he graduated in 2021. He studied Sports Media and Writing while in school.
All posts by Zach WolpinUpdated1 hour ago on August 28, 2025
This summer, 24 countries are competing in the FIBA EuroBasket 2025 tournament. There are four groups of six teams. Group D features Iceland, France, Slovenia, Poland (host), Belgium, and Israel.
One member of the French national team recently shared their aspirations for playing in the NBA. Twenty-seven-year-old Sylvain Francisco hasn’t given up his dream of making it to basketball’s highest stage. At EuroBasket 2025, Francisco spoke with Basket News and said he’s taking his journey to the NBA “step by step.”
Sylvain Francisco dreams of playing in the NBA
Sylvain Francisco remains determined to pursue his NBA dream 🤩🇫🇷 #EuroBasket
His career path has been steadily rising: https://t.co/7RLKfZZ4hB pic.twitter.com/8lcdxQ8MwU
— BasketNews (@BasketNews_com) August 28, 2025
Sylvain Francisco was one of 12 players to make the final roster for France in FIBA EuroBasket 2025. This is now his second major international tournament after competing in the World Cup in 2023. His professional career started with Metropolitans 92, Paris, and Roanne. Soon after, Francisco took his career overseas to Spain with Manresa. Next, he went to Greece to play for Peristeri. Francisco made his EuroLeague debut with FC Bayern Munich in Germany.
Since then, he’s taken on a starting role with Zalgiris Kaunas in Lithuania. Last season, Francisco averaged 14.6 points, 2.6 rebounds, and 4.5 assists for Zalgiris. Additionally, Sylvain Francisco hit some clutch baskets for Zalgiris in the domestic league finals. He had 29 points, five rebounds, and seven assists in a 17-point comeback. That forced a Game 5 that Zalgiris would go on to win.
Sylvain Francisco hit THIS game-winner and powered Zalgiris with 29 points, 5 rebounds, and 7 assists to complete a 17-point comeback and force a decisive Game 5 in the LKL Finals against Rytas. pic.twitter.com/tZpRrVz32M
— Donatas Urbonas (@Urbodo) June 19, 2025
At EuroBasket 2025, Francisco was asked who the next French player to make the NBA will be. The 27-year-old guard smiled at the question and said, “Maybe me.” Francisco mentioned how making the NBA is still a dream for him. However, he’s not given up just yet. The French guard believes he can make it to the league someday.
Sylvain Francisco is on a roster with several players in the NBA. This includes the 2024 first overall pick, Zaccharie Risacher, from the Hawks, and the 2024 second overall pick, Alex Sarr from the Wizards. Additionally, the 2024 first-round pick by the Wizards, Bilal Coulibaly, is on the roster. French national team captain Guerschon Yabusele from the Knicks is also on the team. If Sylvain Francisco plays well in EuroBasket with NBA players, that could help his chances of making it to the league.
