The 2024 Olympics haven’t gotten under way yet, but there are already some heated moments, including one that involved a pair of former Boston Celtics players.
During an exhibition meeting between France and Germany, Evan Fournier and Dennis Schroder went at it in a heated battle after Fournier fouled Schroder, who was driving to the basket. The two former Celtics players briefly went at it before teammates stepped in to break it up in the first half of France’s 90-66 victory.
Evan Fournier Ejected After Choking Former Celtics Player Dennis Schroder
Evan Fournier and Dennis Schröder get HEATED 😳👀
Fournier appeared to choke Schröder
(via statline/IG)
With his team leading 41-23 late in the first half, France’s Fournier fouled Schroder, who drove the lane during an Olympic exhibition on Saturday, July 6. After the hard takedown, Schroder got up and got in the face of Fournier.
Schroder appeared to put his hands on Fournier, who retaliated by briefly choking Schroder before teammates broke things up before it escalated. The two players eventually settled down, but referees tossed Fournier.
Schroder finished the game with 23 points in 28 minutes, while Fournier ended his day with five points in his eight minutes of action.
While the scuffle headlined the first half of play, France’s Victor Wembanyama took center stage. The San Antonio Spurs star made 10 of his 16 shots from the floor, finishing with 25 points in the lopsided victory.
Both teams are paired in the same Olympic group and will face each other again on August 2.
Fournier and Schroder Had Brief Stints With the Celtics
Fournier is a free agent after appearing in 29 games with the Detroit Pistons during the 2023-24 NBA season. With the Pistons, he averaged 7.2 points.
Fournier, a 6-foot-6 swingman, has played with five teams during his 12 seasons in the NBA. He spent the bulk of his career with the Orlando Magic and averaged 16.2 points in his seven seasons with the team.
He spent part of the 2020-21 season with the Celtics, appearing in 16 games and starting 10 of them. During his brief time in Boston, he put up 13 points and per game and pulled down 3.3 rebounds. Fournier also spent time with the New York Knicks and the Denver Nuggets, where he began his NBA career.
Like Fournier, Schroder has bounced around the NBA and spent part of one season with the Celtics.
The 6-foot-1 guard began his NBA career with the Atlanta Hawks, spending five seasons with the team. He then played with the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Los Angeles Lakers before making his way into a Celtics uniform during the 2021-22 season.
With the Celtics, Schroder appeared in 49 games, starting 25. Boston had just moved on from point guard Kemba Walker and was looking to add depth at the guard position. Schroder averaged 14.4 points during his short stay with the Celtics. He also dished out 4.2 assists. The Celtics traded Schroder in February 2022 to the Houston Rockets in a deal that brought back center Daniel Theis.
Schroder finished the season with the Rockets before returning for a second stint with the Lakers. During the 2023-24 season, Schroder split time between the Toronto Raptors and the Brooklyn Nets.
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Former Celtics Player Chokes Another During Heated Olympic Exhibition