The rumor grew stronger and stronger in recent weeks and, finally, Evan Fournier has passed the milestone: after twelve seasons in the NBA, he is flying to Greece, where a two-year contract awaits him at Olympiakos, his favorite club in Europe.
At 31, the Frenchman is therefore opening a new chapter in his basketball career, after having played in the United States since 2012, in Denver, Orlando, Boston, New York and then Detroit.
Hoop Summit regular
For Evan Fournier, the beginning of his adventure across the Atlantic dates back to April 2011when he participated in the famous Nike Hoop Summit in Portland. Opposed to Anthony Davis, Bradley Beal, Austin Rivers or Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, and associated with Dario Saric, Bismack Biyombo, Davis Bertans or Raul Neto, the kid from Charenton bows out and finishes at 6 points, 6 rebounds and 2 assists (in 22 minutes) under the eyes of NBA scouts. An adventure recounted in “Jour J”, a documentary co-produced by DNA of Sports.
Invited again the following year to Oregon, the birthplace of the brand with the comma, the Frenchman nevertheless refused to go there to help his club, Poitiers, stay in Pro A. A strong decision for the one who was trained at INSEP and who started out as a professional at Nanterre, but which would not prevent him from being drafted a few months later by the Nuggets. In the first round and in 20th position !
Little used in Denver
Evan Fournier will spend two years in Colorado and his rookie year will be the most significant collectively. Indeed, he is part of this team that won 57 games in the regular season under the orders of George Karl, “Coach of the Year” 2013 fired after being eliminated in the first round of the playoffs by the Warriors. Among the reasons given for this surprise dismissal? The little playing time granted to a certain tricolor guard (38 games for 5.3 points in 11 minutes)…
The following season, Denver's number 94 played more under Brian Shaw (76 games for 8.4 points in 20 minutes), except that the franchise lost its brilliance without Andre Iguodala or Danilo Gallinari (but also Corey Brewer). In the middle of summer, the Frenchman was then sent to Orlando in exchange for Arron Afflalo.
At the time, he explained to us the difference between his two coaches in Denver. “Brian Shaw is a rather defensive coach, and then the game is much more placed in attack. With George Karl, we had a lot more first-intention shots, a fast game, recovery and more recovery… Shaw is much more composed but there are inevitably remnants of the style advocated by Karl since the majority of the players were already there last season. Karl gave more freedom to the players before the matches, for example by letting us eat a little of what we wanted, which our new coach has changed. They are two totally different worlds.”
Undisputed starter at the Magic
In Florida, Evan Fournier will change dimensions over the years. The team is young, lacks patience with its coaching staff (Jacque Vaughn, James Borrego, Scott Skiles, Frank Vogel and then Steve Clifford follow one another…) and will take four years to become at least competitive.
However, the Val-de-Marne native is taking advantage of this to gradually become a starter and, above all, become a player capable of scoring up to 18 points on average, with good success percentages.
“We are here to set up something great, not to do something mediocre” he had confided upon his arrival. “I really believe in this team and what the staff, GM and coaches, want to build. There is a lot of potential in this group including two very good rookies in Aaron Gordon and Elfrid Payton. It's up to us to grow and progress together to climb the ladder and move up the NBA hierarchy.”
Alongside his great friend Nikola Vucevic, as well as Aaron Gordon, Terrence Ross and DJ Augustin, “More Champagne” ended up making it back to the playoffs in 2019 and then, in the year of Covid-19, he had the most productive season of his career: 18.5 points, 3.2 assists, 2.6 rebounds and 1.1 steals averaging 47% shooting (including 40% from 3-point range) and 82% from free throws.
A key element of this Magic which counts on him, as evidenced by his extension of $85 million over five years In 2016, however, Evan Fournier was sacrificed by the Florida leaders, tired of not making more collective progress, at the time of the trade deadline 2021. Heading to Massachusetts, where the Celtics are ready to trust him to boost their rear traction.
Ups and downs in New York
Problem: the Frenchman's time in Boston was not brilliant collectively, since the C's were taken out in the first round of the playoffs after a negative season. The player in question had his statistics, but the negotiations for his extension did not come to fruition and he changed his tune after six short months.
A new challenge presents itself to Evan Fournier and it is the Knicks, who have always made him dream, who manage to enlist him in a sign-and-trade. He obtains, as a bonus, a contract of four years and $78 million ! Still a starter and in the prime of life, the leader of the Blues' attack is becoming a must in Tom Thibodeau's rotation and his 3-point baskets (John Starks' record is broken) are good for the team, despite the mixed results.
One evening in January 2022, the guard who is approaching thirty took the opportunity to demonstrate his current great form by playing the best game of his NBA career: 41 points at 10/14 at 3-pointersin a memorable victory against the… Celtics at Madison Square Garden! To date, only Tony Parker has scored better in the French clan…
“When you go through a season with a lot of irregularity, you try to find a rhythm, and that always involves being fresh in your attitude to start the day.” the Frenchman reacted. “Maybe there was a little extra motivation, but it's not something I do voluntarily against the Celtics. But, yes, it's three games in a row, it's hard to say otherwise, and it's not a coincidence.”
A final visit to the Pistons to get back on the pitch
Unfortunately, Evan Fournier would not have such success in the NBA after the 2021/22 season. Because, shortly after the opening of the 2022/23 season, New York's poor results forced Tom Thibodeau to review his rotation and he decided to purely and simply sacrifice the Frenchman, in particular because of his limitations in defense.
It's the beginning of the end of his New York experience, as the DNPs pile up and minutes become scarce, with the team finding the right rhythm in his absence.
“It's very hard, that's for sure. There are days that are harder than others.” he told us in December. “I try to focus on what I have to do in my day. Day by day. I don’t plan ahead. I try to earn my day, as they say. I try to do as much as I can with what I have. Again, it’s not easy, but I have no choice: it’s either that or I mope.”
Finally, in the middle of February 2024, the one who was nicknamed “Don't Google Ny Name” was transferred to the Pistons, where he found playing time, essential in view of the Paris Olympic Games where he will continue to be one of Vincent Collet's key men. This is probably what pushed several European clubs to run after him, even if it will not have convinced an NBA franchise to call on his services again.
After scoring 9,607 points and 1,359 3-pointers in 704 regular season games (for 504 starts), and playing around twenty playoff games without ever getting past the first round, Evan Fournier returns to Europe and can boast of having one of the best individual careers of a French basketball player in the United States.
There is nothing to say that he will never cross the Atlantic again, but his best years seem to be behind him and, at this stage of his career, he has logically judged it preferable to join one of the headliners of the European circuit, with playing time and collective objectives, rather than remain inactive on American soil.
| Evan Fournier | Percentage | Rebounds | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | MJ | Min | Shots | 3pts | LF | Off | Def | Early | Pd | Party | Int | Bp | Ct | Pts |
| 2012-13 | DEN | 38 | 11 | 49.3 | 40.7 | 76.9 | 0.2 | 0.8 | 0.9 | 1.2 | 1.7 | 0.5 | 0.8 | 0.0 | 5.3 |
| 2013-14 | DEN | 76 | 20 | 41.9 | 37.6 | 75.6 | 0.5 | 2.2 | 2.7 | 1.5 | 2.4 | 0.5 | 1.3 | 0.1 | 8.4 |
| 2014-15 | ENT | 58 | 29 | 44.0 | 37.8 | 72.8 | 0.5 | 2.2 | 2.6 | 2.1 | 2.0 | 0.7 | 1.4 | 0.0 | 12.0 |
| 2015-16 | ENT | 79 | 33 | 46.2 | 40.0 | 83.6 | 0.4 | 2.4 | 2.9 | 2.7 | 2.7 | 1.2 | 1.7 | 0.0 | 15.4 |
| 2016-17 | ENT | 68 | 33 | 43.9 | 35.6 | 80.5 | 0.7 | 2.4 | 3.1 | 3.0 | 2.7 | 1.0 | 2.1 | 0.1 | 17.2 |
| 2017-18 | ENT | 57 | 32 | 45.9 | 37.9 | 86.7 | 0.4 | 2.8 | 3.2 | 2.9 | 2.4 | 0.8 | 1.7 | 0.3 | 17.8 |
| 2018-19 | ENT | 81 | 32 | 43.8 | 34.0 | 80.6 | 0.5 | 2.7 | 3.2 | 3.6 | 2.8 | 0.9 | 1.9 | 0.2 | 15.1 |
| 2019-20 | ENT | 66 | 31 | 46.7 | 39.9 | 81.8 | 0.3 | 2.3 | 2.6 | 3.2 | 2.4 | 1.1 | 1.9 | 0.2 | 18.5 |
| 2020-21 * | All Teams | 42 | 30 | 45.7 | 41.3 | 78.8 | 0.2 | 2.8 | 3.1 | 3.4 | 2.3 | 1.1 | 1.7 | 0.5 | 17.1 |
| 2020-21 * | ENT | 26 | 30 | 46.1 | 38.8 | 79.7 | 0.2 | 2.7 | 2.9 | 3.7 | 2.1 | 1.0 | 2.1 | 0.4 | 19.7 |
| 2020-21 * | BOS | 16 | 30 | 44.8 | 46.3 | 71.4 | 0.3 | 3.0 | 3.3 | 3.1 | 2.6 | 1.3 | 1.2 | 0.6 | 13.0 |
| 2021-22 | NYK | 80 | 30 | 41.7 | 38.9 | 70.8 | 0.4 | 2.2 | 2.6 | 2.1 | 2.3 | 1.0 | 1.3 | 0.3 | 14.1 |
| 2022-23 | NYK | 27 | 17 | 33.7 | 30.7 | 85.7 | 0.2 | 1.7 | 1.8 | 1.3 | 1.7 | 0.6 | 0.8 | 0.1 | 6.1 |
| 2023-24 * | All Teams | 32 | 18 | 35.7 | 25.4 | 80.6 | 0.2 | 1.7 | 1.8 | 1.5 | 1.5 | 0.9 | 0.7 | 0.2 | 6.9 |
| 2023-24 * | DET | 29 | 19 | 37.3 | 27.0 | 79.4 | 0.2 | 1.7 | 1.9 | 1.6 | 1.5 | 0.9 | 0.7 | 0.2 | 7.2 |
| 2023-24 * | NYK | 3 | 13 | 20.0 | 13.3 | 100.0 | 0.0 | 1.3 | 1.3 | 1.0 | 1.3 | 1.3 | 0.3 | 0.0 | 4.0 |
| Total | 704 | 28 | 44.1 | 37.4 | 79.9 | 0.4 | 2.3 | 2.7 | 2.5 | 2.3 | 0.9 | 1.5 | 0.2 | 13.7 | |
How to read the stats? GM = Games Played; Min = Minutes; Shots = Shots Made / Shots Attempted; 3pts = 3-pointers / 3-pointers Attempted; LF = Free Throws Made / Free Throws Attempted; Off = Offensive Rebound; Def = Defensive Rebound; Tot = Total Rebounds; Pd = Assists; Fte: Personal Fouls; Int = Steals; Bp = Loose Balls; Ct: Blocks; Pts = Points.
