PARIS (France) - Axel Toupane of France is going into the February window of the European Qualifiers for the FIBA Basketball World Cup buoyed by the memory of 2019 in China.

In the first 32-team edition of the tournament, Toupane was in the Les Bleus team that won six of its eight games, including a 89-79 Quarter-Final triumph over two-time defending champions USA and a 67-59 come-from-behind victory over Australia in the 3rd-Place Game. For the second straight World Cup, France reached the podium.

"The World Cup in China was crazy, one of the best moments of my career," the 29-year-old Toupane said. "We left for a long time, it was far from home, everything very different from what you are used to. We were on a mission.

Toupane was in the French team that beat the USA at the World Cup in China

"We had a very good tournament, some ups and downs, some great times, and we ended up with a medal. It was a fantastic experience. I really enjoyed it a lot, we had a great tournament finishing with a medal despite wanting more than the third place."

Now Toupane and France are hard at it again, trying to qualify for the next World Cup, which will be played in the Philippines, Japan and Indonesia, in 2023.

Toupane wasn't with the team in the opening window of qualifying, in November, when they won over Montenegro in Pau and then at Hungary, yet he was cheering them on from afar.

"They got the job done," he said. "It's always tough to start with two wins, and the games weren't easy. They also had a short preparation for the games, and the guys weren't playing together for a long time before. They had to quickly get a good chemistry but they did and in a very short time. The team was focused on winning and they did a great job of reaching that goal."

“The World Cup in China was crazy, one of the best moments of my career.”

Toupane is in the France team that will play the Portuguese twice this month, on February 24, this time in Dijon, and on February 27 in Matosinhos, Portugal.

"It's a very good thing to be playing in many different cities and to compete in front of our fans all over the country for the qualifiers," he said.

"Our fans love to see the national team play, and it gives them another opportunity to see their favorite players play outside of the summer time, when most of the qualifiers were previously scheduled. It's very good for the fans across the country, for the development of our sport, and to get more and more people getting into basketball. It's a great success, in every level.

"I also feel very happy and it feels great to to be representing my country again," he said. "I am always proud to put the jersey on, to be a 'Bleu'. I always have great times playing for the national team, and I love the experience of representing my country. It's always great to be playing with guys that are your friends, and I always make the most of it."

After the World Cup success, Toupane experienced the high of an NBA title run with the Milwaukee Bucks. He joined that team in March of 2021 and played in some regular season and post-season games. He received a championship ring.

He recently returned to France from the United States, where he'd been competing in the  NBA G League, to play for Paris Basketball. He expects to easily find his footing with France.

"It's a bit easier for me because I know what I am getting into, as I have worked many years with (coach) Vincent Collet and the staff from my years in Strasbourg, for example," he said. "But the main point is to come focused, ready in 'commando mode' because it's a short week to get ready and to win both games to reach our goal."

As for Collet, who has been coach of France since the qualification for FIBA EuroBasket 2009, Toupane has only positive things to say.

"First, Vincent is a very good coach, and he knows very well what he is doing," he said. "France has a great pool of players, and he is always very good at making a team and having team play at a very good level.

Veteran coach Collet had one of his finest hours at the World Cup in China

"He is also very good at making guys play very well together in a short amount of time, which is a very good quality to have. He has clear principles of basketball and he is very good at making the guys play at their best level. As a great proof of that, the results are very good, always."

The window gives Collet an opportunity to get up close and personal not just with the players that will be on the roster for the games, but also a few others - Ismael Kamagate, Juhann Begarin and Hugo Bless - that could feature in the team in future games. The trio will be on hand to practice with France as they get ready for the games against Portugal.

Kamagate, who turns 21 on Thursday (January 17), and Begarin, 19, play with Toupane at Paris Basketball.

"I'm excited for them, and I think they are ready to help the national team," he said. "They've had great performances with Paris Basket and they have a lot of potential for the future. We did congratulate them when they got the call to play for the national team..."

Both will eventually play for France and it may happen in one of the upcoming windows. A lot of young players have raised eyebrows in previous European Qualifiers.

"We always have to prepare for the future, and putting some young talent in the group for the windows is a great thing to do, that is for sure," Toupane said. "You learn from everyone, and you get to learn about how the senior national team plays. Gaining experience is very, very important for young players."

France followed up the podium finish in China with a silver medal at last summer's Olympics in Japan, and Toupane expects the team to be in the reckoning for honors at the big events coming up, at FIBA EuroBasket 2022, next year's World Cup and the 2023 Olympics in Paris.

"France is among the best teams in the world," he said, "and we have to keep showing it now, next year, the year after and for a long time. Those are very exciting times, that is for sure."

FIBA