The full-back was the spearhead of the Blues in the quarter-finals and semi-finals. He brings an energy that infects all his teammates.
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For him, as for the entire French team, there were two Olympic Games: the group stage, humming, sometimes tense. And the final stage, combative, euphoric. Isaïa Cordinier is undoubtedly the one who best embodies the transformation of the Blues from the quarter-finals onwards.
A substitute until Canada, the full-back took on a whole new dimension once he was inserted into the starting five in place of Evan Fournier. From 14 minutes per match in Lille, he went to 29 in Paris. On Thursday, he was the one most used by Vincent Collet (33 minutes).
Paris 2024 – Basketball: France – Germany summary
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As against the Canadiens, it was he who sounded the charge to launch the Blues, with his versatility and his crazy intensity. “It’scrazy! He walks on water, he carries us offensively, defensively, he is in energy. He has been huge for two games and I hope he will have a third like that”underlines Matthew Strazel. “Guerschon beat them up, Isaiah too. We rode that wave and each added his own personal touch.”continues Evan Fournier.
Long-distance shots, interceptions, dunks: the Virtus Bologna guard, who had started in Antibes, was the essential detonator to shake up this French team. On Thursday, it was he who sealed the deal by sinking his free throws with seven seconds left. “We are not surprised. CThese players [avec Yabusele et Lessort] showed great character in getting us started, in leading the way.”underlines Frank Ntilikina.
“We are thugs and when we play like thugs, this is what happens.”
Isaïa Cordinier, after France-Germanyto franceinfo: sport
The person concerned does not put himself forward, and is more than anything else part of this shaken collective which has never fallen apart. “We told each other things. Coach, players, staff, we gave ourselves a common direction. We know who we are and we know that if we do what we have to do, magnificent things can happen.”
Son of handball player Stéphane Cordinier, fourth at the Atlanta Olympics in 1996, Isaïa Cordinier will therefore be the first Olympic medalist in his family, and he still can’t believe it. “Yeah, fuck…”he realizes with his hands on his knees. “After the match against Canada, I went to Créteil, to my grandmother’s with my family. My father and I said one thing to each other: fourth place is forbidden.”he smiled.
Paris 2024 – Basketball: Isaïa Cordinier: “We are thugs”
At 27, he finally takes the spotlight, he who had been drafted in 2016 by Atlanta but never joined the NBA. With Guerschon Yabusele, they represent the welcome breath of fresh air to this France group, which now seems capable of moving mountains. “To be honest, we know that not many people believed in us after the preparation and the group stages. But we had confidence in ourselves. The only ones who can stop us are ourselves. When you play like that, you look everyone in the eye.”
With 20 and then 16 points, Isaïa Cordinier has undoubtedly earned his stripes as a starter for the final on Saturday. To offer the first Olympic gold medal in its history to French basketball?