France's Diot looks on bright side

VALENCIA (2016 Rio Olympics) - You could say that France's Antoine Diot earned a spot on the All-Disappointment Team after getting hurt just three days before the start of EuroBasket 2015 and missing the tournament.

The 26-year-old would have played in front of his countrymen in Montpellier and then Lille. He was shaping up to have an important role in the warm-up period. 

An injury, however, prevented him from taking part. He went from being on the cusp of experiencing a once-in-a-lifetime thrill to having the rug pulled out from under him.

"It was incredible, for something like that to happen," Diot said to FIBA.com. "It was really crazy in my head because everything fell down. But you must go forward. You must stand up."

Diot decided to clear his head. France offered him a chance to to stay with the team through the EuroBasket but he chose instead to travel to Spain to join his new club, Valencia, ahead of the 2015-16 campaign. The 26-year-old did not switch off the national team, though.

I watched every game, except for the first (against Finland) when I saw the end. What they did in the tournament for me was incredible. We wanted to win and be first but playing with a lot of pressure in France, they did a great job. It was a good championship, even if we lost against Spain again. But they played great. It was incredible. For me, it was a final. - Diot

France have had some difficulties against Spain over the years, save EuroBasket 2013 when Les Bleus won against them in the Semi-Finals and then at the 2014 FIBA Basketball World Cup when they stunned the hosts in the Quarter-Finals.

This summer, in front of a huge French crowd in Lille, Pau Gasol led Spain to an overtime victory in the Semi-Finals. France nevertheless took a lot from the tournament.

French basketball created a magnificent setting for the Group Phase in Montpellier and then in the knockout record, record numbers of fans watched the EuroBasket. On the court, France still reached the podium after beating Serbia in a battle for third and also earned a spot in one of next year's FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournaments (OQTs).

Had France reached the Final, they would have clinched a spot in the Rio de Janeiro Games. C'est la vie. It will, perhaps, make qualifying for Rio all the sweeter if France are able to win a six-team OQT.

Two of the team's most important players, Nicolas Batum and Tony Parker, declared after the Spain disappointment they would be in the squad next year.

The Olympics is a top priority for Diot, who doesn't take his place in the side for granted.

It's going to be difficult because every team wants to qualify for the Olympic Games. We must keep performing. Every time is the same. - Diot

"You must forget what you did the summer before. Even if you win, you have to prove that you can win again and if you lose, you must put the disappointment behind you and go forward," he warned.

"For me, when I was young, the most important thing was to go to an Olympic Games. For sure, a World Cup or a European Championship is crazy but an Olympic Games, it's a dream for me."

After the Olympics and then the FIBA EuroBasket 2017, Diot will get a chance to play meaningful games in France as part of FIBA's new system of competition.

Over a four-year cycle from 2017 through 2021, national teams will play regular home and away games to qualify for the 2019 FIBA Basketball World Cup and the 2021 FIBA Continental Cups.

"The NBA players can't come (for some of the windows) but I think we can be good," he said. "We have a lot of players in Europe. Nando for sure, Thomas Huertel, Fabien Causeur, Kim (Tillie). We have a lot of guys that can play. Every summer we have a large group so we can everyone on the same page and improve together."

FIBA