Bilal Coulibaly Hopes To Help France Win Gold Over USA

Young Wizard Bilal Coulibaly is ready to take on the United States in his native country of France with an Olympic gold medal on the line.

Aug 2, 2024; Villeneuve-d'Ascq, France; France small forward Bilal Coulibaly (99) controls the ball against Germany shooting guard Andreas Obst (42) in the second half in a men’s group B basketball game during the Paris 2024 Olympic Summer Games at Stade Pierre-Mauroy. Mandatory Credit: John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports / John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports

After turning just 20 years old on July 26, the day of the Opening Ceremonies, France's Bilal Coulibaly fully realized just what lie ahead of him on the basketball court in his home nation.

“It’s so special,” Coulibaly told The Washington Post.. “It’s a once-in-a-lifetime moment. … I’m just proud of it and really honored to be one of the players who are playing in Paris.”

Coulibaly got off to a good start during his rookie season with the Wizards before fracturing his right wrist on March 16. During year No. 1, the 6-8 youngster averaged 8.4 points and 4.1 rebounds and also flashed the kind of defensive potential that makes him a real problem on the wing. On France's national team, he joins lengthy 7-footers Victor Wembanyama and Rudy Gobert, and another long-time elite defender in Nicolas Batum giving France some of the longest, most versatile players in the entire field. NBA veterans Evan Fournier and Frank Ntilikina are also on the French roster.

Coulibaly and Wemby are about the same age and have played together before. That familiarity gives the duo, and the entire French team, some real chemistry as they prepare to take on the favorites in the Americans.

“I forgot how easy it was to play with him,” Coulibaly said of Wembanyama. “Even with the friendly games, he’s been doing his thing, I’ve been doing my thing. We just complement each other very well.”

The USA and France played each other in the Tokyo Olympics for the gold medal with the Americans taking home the top prize. Coulibaly, who was just 17 at the time, remembers the loss and hopes to find a different result when the French take on America tomorrow at 3:30.

“I wish we could change that [result] this year,” Coulibaly said. “I can’t wait to meet them, you know?”

As such a young player, Coulibaly is using the time at the Olympics to really soack up as much as he can and learn new aspects of the game that will apply to his development in the NBA. There are plenty of veterans to learn from, including his teammates Ntilikina and Nando de Colo, and the young Frenchman is grateful for that. He's also getting to run up and down the court against some of the best players from around the league and the world.

“You’re playing against the best players in the world, so it only can help [your development],” Coulibaly said. “The rules are a little different, [Olympics] and NBA, but it’s still basketball. Just playing against the greatest players [from] each country, playing for the best coaches … you can only get better.”