Veteran of the team at the height of his 36 years, Nando De Colo brilliantly assumes his role as innkeeper, alongside Nicolas Batum, also back in business this summer. Between his assists, each more spectacular than the next, and his advice just as well given to his young teammates, the top scorer in the history of the European Cups has only one thing in mind: the gold medal. ‘gold !
After having gleaned all the colors of metal in international competitions, De Colo would like to add another golden charm to his immense record during this World Cup which should launch the Blues at best before their Olympic objective the following summer, at home…
“With our quality, we must be able to trust everyone! »
Nando, you are going to leave France for Asia with full confidence, and five wins in five warm-up matches, how do you approach the rest, knowing that you will be expected at the turn from the first match against an unpredictable Canada?
“We will have a very important first game against Canada, but it’s not an end in itself either. We are doing everything to be ready for the start of the competition. We know that every day is important, that we have to take it step by step. In this case, the next step is tomorrow’s training. Next, it will be Japan, etc. We have to keep moving forward. What was good with our preparation is that we faced different styles of play, and that’s what will await us at the World Cup. Above all, we have to focus on our team for the moment. We will have time to focus on Canada, Lebanon and Latvia when that happens. »
You knew the title in 2013, and you were celebrated recently in Pau for that, does that make you want to find the top of the podium for this World Cup, finally quite open?
“The objective is clearly to come home with the gold medal. This is what we also said to ourselves before the Olympics, where many media did not see us going very far. With this group, medals, we have! Now we have to turn the corner and aim for the gold medal. It will obviously not be easy, we are of course expecting an obstacle course. All the matches are going to be important, and it will get tougher as the competition progresses. We must start with this objective because the higher the objective, the more serious the team will be and will give itself the means to achieve it. »
We saw a lot of very good offensive sequences during this preparation, especially in Orleans against Lithuania, do you also find that the collective game is in place?
“Obviously it’s going to be very important to keep that, especially against teams that aren’t necessarily used to defending against that. I’m thinking of our first match against Canada, for example. With all the qualities they have, and their NBA players, we know that they are more used to a one-pass, one-shot game. We focus on what can help us progress. In the past, we experienced several matches that escaped us because we fell into this form of play that was a little too direct. We have quality players in the team, so we have to be able to trust everyone! The more we advance, the more we want everyone to know their place in the team. It’s also my job to tell some not to overdo it, and others to take more responsibility. »
“At the start of prep, we lacked aggressiveness towards the basket”
With five wins in five games all the lights seem to be green, do you also feel like the planets are aligning to do something big in Asia?
“We are trying to create this collective, even if I find that since the start of the preparation, we have evolved a little. We wanted to respect what Vincent wanted, namely to move the ball. But we lacked aggressiveness towards the basket. While there, we realize that yes, there may be opportunities for direct attack, whether at the start or at the end of the action. Now, we don’t hesitate to go there, or when it’s closed, to make the extra pass. »
You who have known many campaigns, do you find that the internal sector of the team is even richer this year than the previous ones?
“No, to my knowledge, we have the same interior sector as in 2021 for example. Afterwards, you just have to see the evolution of each one over the last few years. We have two different styles in Rudy and Mous. We just want them to be in the best condition to help the team. »
Defensively, you presented several systems with zones and individual, is this alternation well acquired and mastered in your opinion?
“We are trying, everything is not perfect yet, but we are trying to respect what Vincent wants to put in place. We know that there are many teams, including Spain, who bothered us because they had the ability to change defensively as soon as things went wrong. It is important for us to also be able to put doubt in the opposing team. »
We often see you regroup and replace your teammates, how do you manage this role which seems natural to you as a big brother, even as a coach’s relay on the field?
“It’s a role I’ve had for several years now. After all, it’s not just one way. Communication is very important in our sport, and even more so in the French team as we don’t have a whole season to get along well. We know each other but in the end, we only play two months together, and the rest of the time, everyone resumes their automatisms [en club]. It’s never easy to create a collective and it goes through that. It’s an important role, and with the experience I have, that’s what I have to do. »
Interview in Rueil-Malmaison
Photo credit: Lenoir/The Agency/FFBB
