France used to be the perennial bridesmaid of European basketball, always elite but never champions. Les Blues finally shed that unwanted reputation with their first major title at EuroBasket 2013, the crowning achievement for an elite generation of players including Tony Parker, Boris Diaw and Nicolas Batum.
Now, with the medal round situated on French soil, they’ll attempt to defend their title against a thin but top-heavy field that includes fellow contenders Lithuania, Croatia, Greece and bitter rival Spain.
EuroBasket 2015 begins on Saturday, comprising 24 teams split into four groups for the first round. The top four finishers from each group after round robin play will advance to the tournament stage, culminating in the championship game on Sept.