No French ego trippers

New Orleans Pelicans’ 7-1 Alexis Ajinca would’ve been a shoo-in to make the 12-man cast of the French national team that claimed the last ticket to Rio by virtue of beating Canada, 83-74, in the final of the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament at the MOA Arena last Sunday.

But Ajinca, 28, was struck out. He was one of two cuts with the other Edwin Jackson. Surely, Ajinca would’ve been a better choice than 6-8 Adrien Moerman. So why was he excluded? Before the 12-man roster was announced, Ajinca was upbeat on his chances. “I’m always available to play for the national team,” he said. “Last year was disappointing for me as I had to withdraw due to an injury and I want to bounce back. It’s hard to say no and not play for your national team.”

Ajinca said he was looking forward to battling his New Orleans teammate and Turkey stalwart Omer Asik. “We talked about it often, with Omer, the possibility of playing against each other in Manila,” said Ajinca who has suited up for Charlotte, Dallas, Toronto and the Pelicans in five NBA seasons. “New Zealand plays hard and with a lot of heart so it’s always tough to beat them. They play in a very physical way and we have to be ready from Day One. Then, we would play against solid teams like Canada, Senegal and Turkey who have a lot of talented players. Nothing will be easy. I don’t know that much about the Philippines and I think it would be a great experience, both on the sport and human sides, to discover the country, their team and their fan base.”

A reliable source said Ajinca was waived because of an attitude problem. “He was quoted in media as saying he wouldn’t be interested to play in Rio if he’s given a bit role,” said the source. “That obviously ticked off the French coach (Vincent Collet). Look at the case of Jackson. After he was cut, Jackson stayed in Manila, sat on the French bench every game and was their No. 1 cheerleader. That’s the attitude you want from your players. France came with six NBA veterans but they were all committed to play as a team.”

Now that France has qualified for the Olympics, Collet has the option of reinforcing his lineup with more NBA veterans like Evan Fournier, Rudy Gobert, Joakim Noah, Ian Mahinmi, Rodrigue Beaubois and Kevin Seraphin. France could conceivably show up in Rio with a team of 12 NBA veterans.

France has been drawn to Group A with the US, Venezuela, Serbia, China and Australia in Rio. In Group B are Argentina, Spain, Brazil, Lithuania, Croatia and Nigeria. The three qualifying tournament winners are France, Serbia and Croatia. Les Bleus opens its Olympic campaign against Australia on Aug. 6.  The top four placers of each group will advance to the knockout quarterfinals on Aug. 17. The semifinals are scheduled on Aug. 19 and the final and the battle for third on Aug. 21.

In Manila, French guard Nando de Colo was voted tournament MVP. He ranked No. 4 in scoring (17.3), No. 1 in field goal shooting (58.5 percent), No. 1 in steals (2.3), No. 14 in assists (2.3) and No. 3 in efficiency rating. He beat Tony Parker for the honor even as the San Antonio star was named Best Player of the Game in the final for compiling 26 points, four rebounds and four assists. Parker hit 15 points in the fourth period to settle the issue almost singlehandedly. Parker finished No. 7 in scoring (13.8), No. 2 in field goal shooting (52.8 percent), No. 3 in assists (3.5) and No. 9 in efficiency rating.

De Colo, 29, was San Antonio’s second round pick in the 2009 NBA draft. He played two seasons in the NBA with the Spurs and Toronto then left after the 2013-14 campaign. De Colo, whose parents are Portuguese, recently inked a three-year extension with CSKA Moscow so it’s not likely he’s headed back to the NBA anytime soon. De Colo is the reigning Euroleague MVP and Finals MVP.

Parker’s wife Axelle Francine, a journalist, is due to give birth to their second child, a boy to be named Liam, at the end of the month. The couple’s first-born Josh is now two years old. Parker was previously married to actress Eva Longoria.

Parker, 34, has announced that the trip to Rio will be his last with the national team. But while he’s retiring from international competition, Parker said he’ll still be playing for the Spurs. His San Antonio contract is good for another two seasons with a total salary of $30 Million. Parker said he expects to play four or five more years in the NBA.

Parker’s heir apparent with Les Bleus is 6-2 Thomas Huertel, a 27-year-old point guard who plays for Anadolu Efes in the Turkish league. Huertel made his presence felt when he played the entire fourth period in lifting France out of a 12-point hole to beat New Zealand, 66-59. In the semifinal against Turkey, Huertel again played the hero’s role as he scattered 12 of his 17 points in the fourth quarter of France’s 75-63 win.

French captain Boris Diaw had nine points and Nicolas Batum seven in the final. Batum played only in France’s last two games because as an NBA free agent, he wouldn’t have been insured before the signing moratorium ended last Thursday. Once the moratorium lapsed, Batum signed a five-year $120 Million contract to stay with Charlotte and his insurance kicked in.