Bold Predictions for Tony Parker's 2012 Olympics on Team France

The Olympic basketball team from France is among the world’s best, and the biggest reason is that it is helmed by Tony Parker of the San Antonio Spurs.

Part of the reason Parker is such a great leader for the Spurs is from his experience in international basketball as the leader of the French. That leadership will be on display in London and will be a big part of the success of the French team.

Parker is due for a big Olympics, so we need some bold predictions for his play. Here they are.

Tony Parker Will Nearly Upset the USA

One illustration of the dominance of this USA team is the fact that even predicting a near-upset is a “bold” prediction. Parker will do everything he can to unseat the reigning Gold medal winners, and he’ll get close to accomplishing that goal.

The USA team has already proven that they are susceptible to unexpected teams giving them a run for their money. The Brazilian team was ahead by double digits after the first quarter on Monday.

Parker will start out fast and power his French team to also take a lead when the two squads play on June 29. France won’t defeat the USA, but Parker will help it get close.

France Will Not Lose Again in the Preliminary Round

In the preliminary round, the French team will not have to play Spain, which will be incredibly lucky. As a result of that, they’ll go undefeated in the preliminary round other than losing to the USA.

France’s opponents are as follows: USA, Argentina, Lithuania, Tunisia, and Nigeria. Parker and his compatriots will defeat all of those teams. And that includes Argentina, who is led by Parker’s Spurs teammate Manu Ginobili. These two have won three titles together, but it will be Parker who comes out on top in their Olympic matchup.

France Will Win a Medal

Tony Parker will lead this French team to win a medal in these Olympics. Back in 2008, the French team got nowhere near a medal, as it didn’t even qualify for Olympic play.

But this French team will be there, and Parker will be leading it. With just a loss to the USA in the preliminary round, France will easily qualify for the quarterfinals. From there, Parker will give an MVP-caliber performance, putting France on his back and carrying it through opponents.

France will get the Bronze medal more than likely. The USA and Spain seem to have dibs already called on Gold and Silver, but don’t be surprised if Parker’s French team can sneak into the top two either.