EXCLUDED RMC SPORT. Evan Fournier, the fullback of the French team and the Orlando Magic, talks about the resumption of the NBA season, his passion for Koh-Lanta and the deeper issue of police violence and racism on both sides of the Atlantic.
Evan Fournier, are you happy to be back on the floor for the NBA’s resumption on July 31st?
Of course I do. I’m happy, excited to play again. After that, you can’t ignore all the side-by-sides. Being in a bubble for six weeks, playing in empty rooms, it’s going to be a really special context. We’re happy to play again, but we’re asking a lot of questions, too. How’s that going to work out? Is anyone going to get the Covid? It’s a little weird feeling, though.
Are the players afraid?
No, we are not afraid. We talk a lot. There are daily meetings between the NBA and management. We’ve got some information. But will we have the right to see our families? Where are we going to eat, sleep? On the logistics side, we don’t know anything at the moment. It will inevitably be ch…
How is the training going now?
It’s just me and a coach, two players in the room only at the same time. All restrictions are still present. The bouncer has to wear gloves, a mask. I have to go through protocol with questions, wash my hands, put on gel, etc. Every two weeks, there is a Covid-19 test that is done. And every day, there is a temperature intake.
How’s it going to be for your loved ones?
They won’t be here. We’re just talking about bringing families in after the first round of the playoffs. There will be 1,600 people in the bubble. The teams that will be eliminated will leave so we can replace them with the families. But for the first six weeks, no one. It’s getting drunk. We have a one-year-old son. Being alone for six weeks is not easy. We have no choice, we will organize.
In this period, we saw you a lot on social networks …
Twitter is an interesting medium. It is a source of information. It gives a lot of info. I like to be informed of what is happening in France. I left, so it’s a way of knowing. I don’t have my tongue in my pocket, so I speak.
Tell yourself your last Friday, in front of Koh-Lanta…
It was a day of frustration (laughs). But it was predictable, because unfortunately it’s not a test for the big ones (Claude failed at the posts). But it was a really great season.
Why are you such a fan of the show?
I’ve always liked Koh-Lanta. I’m not expressing it anymore. It’s become almost a trademark. People are waiting for me to comment during the episodes. But I’ve always watched Koh-Lanta, since the first few seasons.
What do you think of the winner, Naoil?
Noail, I like it very much. I think she’s had a great run. It conveyed real values. She has often spoken out to say real things, in terms of competitiveness. Of course I would have preferred it to be Claude, but he is a beautiful winner.
How do you explain the wave of support for Claude?
He showed real values. He was strong in the trials, good at tactics. He was a little lonely in addition, he could not ally with many others. He just had Jessica as his buddy. It’s everyone for themselves because you have to survive. When they were on the reds, they were a little in danger. At the reunification, there were more yellows than reds and he was in danger. He must have gone out of his way. You hope that the one who is inferior will win. He was one of the best but he was constantly in danger. He was doing well every time. On top of that, he was teaching others about their phony morality… Unfortunately, Koh-Lanta is also that: people who are not strong who ally and pull out phony stuff. He lectured Ines, it was just beautiful.
There aren’t any other reality shows that catch you?
Not. There is no other reality show like that. For me, it reflects a lot of things, Koh-Lanta. The challenge, but also how you interact with others, how you make alliances. And you can’t trust anyone. That’s interesting. It reflects a lot of things in the way I do things. That’s why I like it so much. And there is also the fact that Denis (Brogniart) plays his role very well. He’s going to the sea.without really fucking her. Besides, it happens in beautiful settings. It’s a great show.
Are you going to be a part of it?
I don’t know if it’s going to be possible (laughs). Denis said, Koh-Lanta, it’s done by anonymous people for anonymous people. I think it’s a very nice slogan. If one day Koh-Lanta contacts me, I will. That’s for sure.
Are you looking forward to the Olympics, postponed until 2021?
It’s not clear if we’re there (NBA players). That’s the problem. It would have been better if we had stopped there (in the NBA). It’s going to take us down for years to come. Game 7 of the finals will be on October 12. Next season would start in December. But training camp will surely be postponed. How do we do that? A full season, if we want to make the maximum amount of money, it makes us play until July. So there is no Olympics. And when do you go back to normal season? It’s going to put us in an uncomfortable position for years to come.
How did you experience George Floyd’s death?
Just like everyone else. The video is shocking, revolting. And unfortunately, it’s a truth, which many people find difficult to understand. In the United States, it is even more obvious than elsewhere. Here, there are a lot of cases of police violence, especially on black Americans, who get killed. There’s a lot of stories like that. It’s a real problem in this country. The protests were strong. I felt like it was the first time so many people had gathered. There are even institutions like the NFL that completely change their discourse, who start to say that Colin Kaepernick was right. It shows how strong the movement is. It’s proof that people are afraid. I think it is good that in France too, there was a big gathering for Adama Traoré. I’m really with them, I wish I was there.
Would it have been important for you to participate too?
Yes, clearly. Plus, it’s my city, Paris. I am sorry to say that there is police violence, it is just a truth. This violence is more often directed at blacks and Arabs. It’s just the truth. If you don’t see it that way, maybe you haven’t had an experience, you don’t know people who’ve been through this. Even though I don’t come from a tough neighborhood, I grew up with people from different backgrounds. I was not a victim, but I witnessed that. It’s just the reality. I think it has to be said. We need to stop hiding behind excuses. Of course, we must not generalize. But things have to change. There has to be justice. To say that racism does not exist in France is just wrong. Of course there’s racism. There’s racism everywhere. It exists, it’s just a fact.
Do you think things will change?
Movements like this, like MeToo, at the moment there are of course things that will change, more trials, cases reopened, but it never lasts very long. It could last maybe a year or two. But then it fades a little. I hope things will change.
