Both France and Germany men's basketball already punched their tickets to the Olympics, but the passion is still very much palpable as each team gears up for Paris.
An exhibition matchup between France and Germany on Saturday briefly turned ugly when NBA veterans Evan Fournier and Dennis Schroder got into a scuffle along the baseline. The incident instantly fired up the crowd and led to Fournier's ejection.
France is hoping for gold in its home country, and a 90-66 win over Germany in the friendly exemplified why they believe they can do it. The emergence of Victor Wembanyama was on full display, as the Spurs star finished with 27 points in only 19 minutes.
The French national team has plenty of NBA experience, but they will need Fournier to control his emotions after Saturday's brawl.
Here's a look at the video of the incident between Fournier and Schroder.
MORE: Why Zach Edey isn't playing for Team Canada in Paris
Evan Fournier-Dennis Schroder fight video
Schroder fell to the floor at the end of a play during Saturday's game and immediately took exception when he got back to his feet, putting his hands around Fournier's collarbone. That crossed a line for Fournier, who put his hands around Schroder's neck and appeared to choke him while shoving him toward another player.
This angle of the Schroder-Fournier scuffle 😳 (via statline/IG) pic.twitter.com/yBgkqNT4d1
— Overtime (@overtime) July 6, 2024
Schroder and Fournier were later seen making amends, but officials ejected Fournier from the game.
The brawl came during an all-around tough day for Germany, which might have contributed to Schroder's initial frustration. France managed a 24-point win, holding Germany to just 66 points. While the game didn't mean anything, as both teams are already qualified for the Olympics, a blowout loss wasn't what the Germans wanted just three weeks before the group play at the Paris Games begins.
France narrowly lost the gold medal game against the United States in Tokyo three years ago, but the combination of young pieces such as Wembanyama and Bilal Coulibaly along with veterans like Rudy Gobert, Nicolas Batum and Fournier has the nation believing gold is on the table in front of the home fans.
Germany's path to contention might go through France, as they are in the same group and will face off on Aug. 2 in the final game of group play. Schroder, who scored 23 of Germany's 66 points on Saturday, is pivotal to the team's hopes.
Fournier is currently a free agent after finishing this past NBA season with the Pistons, while Schroder is under contract with the Nets.