KRASNODAR (FIBA Basketball World Cup 2019 European Qualifiers) - Boris Diaw has worn France's national team shirt in important games for almost 17 years.

With Les Bleus playing qualifying games for FIBA EuroBasket 2003, he made his bow as a 20-year-old on January 23, 2002, logging 22 minutes in a 78-70 triumph over Poland  in Wloclawek.

On Monday, he will be in Krasnodar, Russia, leading the side when it attempts to finish the First Round of the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2019 European Qualifiers with a sixth win in as many games.

As the long-time NBA star who played last season with Levallois in France is now unsigned, some are wondering if the game at Russia will be his final one.

Diaw, 36, has remained influential for France since the Rio 2016 Olympics, when three other linchpins in the national side - Tony Parker, Florent Pietrus and Mickael Gelabale - announced their retirements from the national team.

That was especially true in France's first meeting with Russia on February 23, when the versatile forward scored the winning basket at the end of overtime. He has been influential in so many ways on the court that the national team has not just needed him for his ability to put the ball in the basket. 

In that game, though, Diaw had 23 points, showing that if he wanted to continue to be a big contributor in the team, it was up to him. 

Diaw only played 14 minutes in Friday's 102-52 demolition of Bosnia and Herzegovina in Tuzla, though. Afterwards, he just "chilled out".

The veteran shared with his followers on social media some insight into his post-game routine.

It may be that Diaw does play another season or two with a team and continues to turn out for his country. When the day does arrive that he calls it quits with France, though, the national side will bid adieu to one of the most important and successful players in its history.

Diaw has reached the podium several times with France, including helping them win EuroBasket in 2013, followed by third-place finishes at the FIBA Basketball World Cup in Spain the following year and at EuroBasket in 2015.

France coach Vincent Collet is bringing Edwin Jackson and Mathias Lessort into the team to face Russia, in place of Fabien Causeur and Alain Koffi.

As well as Diaw, spectators in Krasnodar on Monday will see Nando de Colo, the best known Frenchman in the country's most successful team, CSKA Moscow.

De Colo has captured titles and claimed numerous personal accolades in Russia since joining CSKA in 2014, including three league VTB United League most valuable player awards.

There have been some big games over the years that De Colo has played in for France against Russia. None have been more important than France's Semi-Final triumph over Russia at FIBA EuroBasket 2011, when he had  9 points, 5 rebounds and 2 assists in a France's win that clinched his country's first Olympic berth since 2000.

De Colo also helped France beat Russia at FIBA EuroBasket 2015 in Montpellier and ended up making the All-Star Five at that event.

Russia have finished on top in that rivalry before, though. Andrei Kirilenko, the President of the Russian Basketball Federation (RBF), led the national side to victory in their Quarter-Final battle at FIBA EuroBasket 2007.

Russia used that as a springboard to the country's first and only title in the competition. It also helped them qualify for the Beijing Olympics.

While France already have five wins in the bag heading into Monday's game, Russia have three following their 84-66 win at Belgium on Friday. They have clinched a spot in the Second Round but with all results carrying over to the next phase of the competition, the Russians will be desperate to claim another win.

The home's team task of trying to hand the French a first defeat in these Qualifiers will be made harder by the fact that shooting guard Sergey Karasev is out after suffering a broken nose in the team's win over Belgium on Friday.

FIBA