Tony Parker has been the face of French basketball in recent times but Boris Diaw is now stealing some of the limelight.

The 2.03m Diaw was in peak form at last year's EuroBasket and was voted the top small forward for his all round game. He averaged 13.7  points, 5.3 rebounds, 3.4 assists, one steal and 1.3 blocks per game as the French captured the bronze medal and qualified for the FIBA World Championship in Japan.

That EuroBasket effort was not a flash-in-the-pan performance, either, because Diaw has been sensational this year with the Phoenix Suns in the NBA, who picked up Diaw in a trade with Atlanta Hawks last summer.

		“	"I love playing for my country. I never miss a chance to play in the national team."	„
		France's Boris Diaw

He has the potential to become an elite player, as he demonstrated on January 31 at Philadelphia when he finished with a triple-double of  14 points, 13 rebounds and 11 assists.

He feels good in Phoenix, but there is no denying his passion for France, either.

"I will definitely play (at the World Championship)," he said to PA Sport. "I love playing for my country. I never miss a chance to play in the national team."

France are among 24 teams taking part in Japan, and Diaw believes the biggest threats to Les Bleus reaching the podium can be narrowed down to a few sides.

"Biggest opponents?" he said. "There are a lot. Yugoslavia (Serbia & Montenegro) can come out pretty strong. The US, depending on the line up, they will be very good, and Argentina."

Diaw is confident France will have a positive tournament. Had they not blown a late lead against eventual champions Greece in the semi-final of the EuroBasket, France might have captured the gold themselves. 

Nevertheless, they did rebound from that disappointment by winning the bronze medal with a demolition of Spain.

"We´ve got a tough team," he  warned. "A lot of players are very athletic."