By Eurohoops team/ info@eurohoops.net
French guard Sylvain Francisco revealed he received more than 3,000 racist messages following a misplayed final action against Slovenia.
The incident occurred after Francisco went for a layup in the dying seconds of the match, despite the final outcome already being decided, and after shaking hands with Luka Dončić.
“There are no words. It’s nonsense. Especially coming from grown adults, fathers, mothers, or children who shouldn’t even be on social media. You can insult me about my basketball level, but once it touches my race or skin color, I will not accept it,” Francisco said, according to BeBasket.
The backlash clearly affected him.
“I didn’t expect it, but it really affected me. It really played with my mental state. I’m human—it got to me. Most of the time, you don’t think it will, but it does. I’m trying to move on because the most important thing is winning these games, and I know the guys need me.”
Francisco also criticized the slow response compared to more high-profile players.
“When Dennis Schröder faced monkey chants, it was handled immediately. For me, it took a long time. If you’re not a celebrity like Vinicius or an NBA player, the process isn’t as fast… What happened is truly unacceptable.”
He emphasized the need to keep speaking out.
“I am someone who will talk and talk until the end. I’ve had support from several people, and that’s what’s good. This kind of thing needs to be discussed, not only when it involves famous people. I might even press charges. It can’t be ignored.”
Francisco confirmed the scale of the abuse.
“I can’t even count. I received 3,000 messages easily. They comment on my old posts, including ones I can’t remove because they’re collaborations with other accounts. I’ve closed all my private messages. The 3,000 messages were all DMs. They came from everywhere—Eastern Europe, the U.S., even France.”
While FIBA issued a brief statement, Francisco insists more must be done.
“A statement is a statement… They can always do more. If they need proof, I have plenty. Julien Guérineau, the French team press officer, and the federation president are aware and taking care of it.”
Despite the challenge, Francisco is staying focused.
“It’s hard to live through. I want to do things right. I try to forget, but it affects my mood, my focus in games, and many things. It’s tough, but I try to move forward and reach the level I want to be at.”
Photo credit: FIBA