 Nyorai kuenderera mberi kweiyi ndima - Vachitarisira kuti vasadzokorora kuita kunogumbura kwegore ra2003, chikwata cheFrance chakaona zvakare shanduko dzakakosha dzichienda kuEuroBasket 2005. Kugadziriswazve kwechikwata chenyika kwakavakirwa pachikwata chemakemikari panzvimbo pemazita makuru; Pakati pevamwe, Jérôme Moïso naTariq Abdul-Wahad vakanyangarika kubva pachikwata nechikwata chitsva chakaumbwa chakatenderedza vatambi vatatu veNBA Tony Parker, Boris Diaw, naMikaël Piétrus pamwe neanodzoka muchikwata chenyika veteran Antoine Rigaudeau. Murairidzi mutsva Claude Bergeaud, zvinoshamisawo kuti akasarudzawo Frédéric Weis, mutambi asina kubudirira akambonyorwa mu1999 NBA draft, uyo asina kubatanidzwa mukugadzirira kwechikwata. Pashure pedanho rokutanga rinonyaradza, France yakaratidza kuita kunoshamisa muchikamu chokukandirwa kunze. Kutanga, France yakabvisa Serbia neMontenegro padare rayo, ipapo chikwata chakakunda mukwikwidzi weEurope wa2003 Lithuania. Vachipinda mumutambo wavo wemasemifainari neGreece, uko mativi ese ari maviri akarwisana nemumwe neumwe achidzivirira zvakaoma, France yakadonha muminiti yekupedzisira mushure mekutungamira nemapoinzi manomwe nemasekondi makumi mana nemashanu asara mumutemo. Kurasikirwa kunoparadza kwakadzinga chikwata chenyika kumakwikwi emhangura zvakare. Zvisinei, kusiyana ne2003, France yakadzoka kuzotora menduru yebronze nekurova Spain 9868. 