CHARLOTTE (FIBA EuroBasket 2017) - France star Nicolas Batum is glad that Vincent Collet has remained coach of the national team despite its disappointing campaign at the Rio de Janeiro Games.

Les Bleus left the Olympics with a bitter taste in their mouths after a Quarter-Final demolition by Spain and it was uncertain if Collet would continue to lead the team at FIBA EuroBasket 2017.

Collet and the French Basketball Federation (FFBB) agreed to continue their collaboration and Batum says the national team programme will reap the benefits.

"When he got there, we won," Batum said to FIBA.com. "He changed the culture about French basketball, especially the national team, since 2009.

"Before that, we only had two medals in all competitions and since he arrived, we have won four medals in seven years. So he brought us a winning mentality. That was good for us."

Collet first had to steer France into EuroBasket 2009, which he did. Once in Poland, the team won all of its games before falling to Spain in the Quarter-Finals. The team bounced back in the Classification Round to earn a trip to the 2010 FIBA Basketball World Cup in Turkey.

France reached the Round of 16 in Istanbul before falling to the Turks, but made it the Final of EuroBasket 2011 in Lithuania to qualify for the London Games, where they reached the Last Eight.

At EuroBasket 2013, France beat their nemesis, Spain, in the Semi-Finals and then throttled Lithuania to reach the top of the podium for their first-ever major title.

The following year, despite missing key players, Les Bleus still finished third at the FIBA Basketball World Cup, after springing the biggest upset of the competition with a Quarter-Final triumph over hosts Spain.

Collet leaned heavily on Batum at the World Cup and the NBA star turned in arguably his best display for the national team.

France were on home soil in Lille when they lost to Spain in the Semi-Finals of EuroBasket 2015 but bounced back to beat Serbia and claim third place. This past summer, Collet led the French team to first place at the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament (OQT) in the Philippines, which saw them qualify for the Rio Games.

At the Olympics, though, France's players did not jell and Batum struggled. On balance, though, it's been much more of the good than the bad for both Batum and Collet with the national team.

When the 27-year-old looks back on his career, he knows that Collet played a huge part in his development.

"He (Collet) gave me the key of the team, a pro league team when I was a 16-, 17-year-old guy. He said, 'You are the guy' and that was big time for me." - Batum

"He was my coach (at Le Mans) before I got drafted," Batum said. "He was the guy who put me on the court when I was 16, 17. People were like, 'He's too young, he's not ready.'

"But he (Collet) didn't care. He said, "No, he's got to be on the court now. He's got to learn the game. He goes, 'You're going to make mistakes but you are going to learn the game that way.'

"He gave me the key of the team, a pro league team when I was a 16-, 17-year-old guy. He said, 'You are the guy' and that was big time for me."

Batum was drafted 25 in the 2008 NBA Draft by Portland and has been in the world's top league ever since.

"That was the reason why I was drafted and when I got to the NBA, that's why I was ready for the challenge because I had been through that before," he said. "I was ready because of him."

Collet on Thursday agreed to reclaim the reins of his former club, SIG Strasbourg, an outfit that is struggling for wins.

Strasbourg, who reached the last three French league play-off finals under Collet but lost each time, are 1-4 in the French top flight and 0-2 in the Basketball Champions League. France's basketball Federation gave their blessing to his return to the club while making it clear that Collet's priority remains the national team.

Batum, meanwhile, is in his second season with the Hornets, who claimed an opening night win at Milwaukee on Wednesday.

After the club season, he will turn his attention back to France. He'll be eager to put things right after the meek showing against Spain in Brazil.

"We just have to move on," he said. "We have a great group (of France players) and we'll see what happens the next couple of summers."

FIBA