PARIS (France) - Elie Okobo has long been touted as an exciting talent for France and FIBA EuroBasket 2022 could present the perfect platform to make a splash on the international stage.

The 24-year-old earned a first senior international cap back in 2017, but is still relatively inexperienced when it comes to national team appearances. Okobo was one of the standout performers for France in the recent window of the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023 European Qualifiers and relishes being part of 'Les Bleus'.

"ONE OF MY GOALS AND DREAMS IS TO WIN TITLES AND MEDALS FOR THE NATIONAL TEAM."

"I am always so happy when I am called to come play for the national team, and I want to help the guys win the next games to keep our great dynamic going," he told FIBA.basketball. "That feeling to represent your country, and be in a team full of very good talents that have been winning so much in the last couple of years is very exciting. 

"I am an ambitious player, I know what I am capable of, but I always take it step by step. I have goals, and dreams, that is for sure, and one of them is to win titles and medals for the national team. I am taking it one experience at a time, and I am really looking forward to the start of the training camp."

"[FIBA EuroBasket 2022] could be the best continental tournament ever" - Elie Okobo

Okobo has the opportunity to become a more established figure in the team and is part of the preliminary EuroBasket roster as preparations ramp up for Vincent Collet's side. Injuries have already halted the original plans, but there will still be fierce competition for places in the coveted final 12.

After an impressive season with the storied ASVEL, Okobo enhanced his chances during the recent national team window as a solid contributor yet still acknowledges the need to keep pushing forward.

"There is no secret, no magic recipe. I have to keep working hard every day, get better every day, learn every day and always set the bar higher and higher," he said. "It's as simple as that, and I am hungry to keep improving, and to be the best player I can become, in order to play for the longest time at the highest level.

"Everyone is pushing hard for one another, the team spirit is unique, and we all want to help the national team do great things in the next games and competitions. Practicing, spending time with the guys has been great, and the camaraderie is so great.

"Every time I go to the training camp and play games with the national team, I always learn a lot. That’s a very positive and constructive experience and I always embrace it."

It's an exciting time for French basketball. They have grand ambitions - as well as high expectations - leading into the rest of the current international cycle that also includes next year's World Cup and the 2024 Olympics in Paris.

So, it is no wonder that players are desperate to be involved, though Okobo heeds caution in an attempt to avoid looking too far into the future. Medals at major tournaments have been a consistent theme for France, but the challenge now is to start winning titles again.

"I am taking it one step at a time," he said. "The first one is the next window, and after that there is the EuroBasket, which could be the best continental tournament ever. The goal is to win, and all the guys are very excited about the coming tournaments.

"The coming cycle with all those important tournaments leading to the 2024 Paris Olympics could be a fantastic opportunity, and France can make history with the super talented guys we have.

"The recent years have been showing the world what we are capable of, and the goal is to keep being in the same dynamic for a long time."

Okobo and France resume World Cup European Qualifiers action later this month with two games before it is full force for EuroBasket glory as they head to Cologne, Germany for an exciting Group Phase.

FIBA