SAN ANTONIO (FIBA Basketball World Cup 2019 European Qualifiers) - It doesn't matter how France qualify for next year's FIBA Basketball World Cup just as long as they make it to China, according to Joffrey Lauvergne.

The France and San Antonio Spurs forward says the team can "win well or win ugly" - whatever it takes to clinch a spot in the 32-team tournament taking place from August 31-September 15, 2019.

With a 70-59 victory at Belgium and an 84-65 home triumph over Bosnia and Herzegovina, the November Qualifiers were very good for Les Bleus. Later this month, France are at home to Russia and Belgium.

Lauvergne spoke to FIBA.basketball about his desire to play in the June-July window, reflecting on France's play last November and shared an unforgettable World Cup moment.

France couldn't have had a better start in the Qualifiers.
The first two games were good and winning the next two is the next step towards reaching the goal, which is to qualify for China. We have to qualify for the World Cup no matter what. Winning well, or winning ugly, we have to win to make it to China. We all know that every game in Europe now is very competitive. We learned this last summer during the EuroBasket and the level in Europe is getting more and more competitive, so it will get harder and harder to qualify for a major tournament. Any national team can beat another in one game. This is good for European basketball, to see the level getting more competitive year after year.

Do you want to play for France in the third window, on June 29 at Bosnia and Herzegovina and July 2 at Russia?
Yes, that would be great, but it is still early to talk about it as I will have to see about my contract with the Spurs. People know that playing for the national team is something that I enjoy doing. I am looking forward to wearing the 'Bleu' jersey again and to help the team in the future.

"WE HAVE TO QUALIFY FOR THE WORLD CUP NO MATTER WHAT. WINNING WELL, OR WINNING UGLY, WE HAVE TO WIN TO MAKE IT TO CHINA" LauvergneLauvergne

Having played for France since 2013, what positives did you take from the EuroBasket experience last summer when the team reached the Quarter-Finals but then lost to Germany?
I am the kind of player that learns and grows from every experience. We were disappointed to lose against Germany, and we had some ups and downs during the tournament, but we did also some good things. People forgot that most of our leaders and veterans, including Tony Parker, Florent Pietrus and Mickael Gelabale, are not with the team anymore, so we were less experienced at international level last summer than we were in the previous competitions. The most important thing is to keep working hard and keep growing as a group and as a team, because we have a lot of talented guys. We have a lot of potential, and we can have great performances in the coming competitions.

"I AM LOOKING FORWARD TO WEARING THE 'BLEU' JERSEY AGAIN AND TO HELP THE TEAM IN THE FUTURE" LauvergneLauvergne

At the last World Cup in Spain, you helped France upset hosts Spain in the Quarter-Finals and then clinch third place.
It was an amazing experience for me. I had playing time, and we had a very good campaign. It also helped my career, as it was after that tournament that the Denver Nuggets pushed more to get me on the roster. Winning a medal was an unforgettable moment. We had one of the best games of the last decade for French basketball when we beat Spain and it gave us a lot of confidence for the rest of the competition. It was a great human experience, we fought for each other, we played for each other. We had a young roster, less experienced than usual, and we achieved what a lot of people didn't expect from us. This kind of competition is great for gaining experience. I will never forget it.

You're reunited with former Partizan Belgrade teammate Davis Bertans of Latvia in San Antonio. What can you say about his continual progress?
Davis is a hard worker and a very talented guy. I'm not surprised by the way his season has gone so far. He had a great EuroBasket and he's a student of the game. He carries the torch for Latvian basketball alongside Kristaps Porzingis and he's great teammate. He had serious knee injuries yet he always fought back to achieve his dreams. Not a lot of people talk about him but he is, in my opinion, one of the most underrated European players.

You're now playing for Spurs boss Greg Popovich, who will be at the helm of the United States at the World Cup. What is that like?
It's a great experience. We are talking about one of the best coaches in the game, and someone who's won titles and has been doing amazing things the last 20 years. It's a great learning process for me, and I'm happy to have the opportunity.

FIBA