France vs Japan FIBA World Cup 2023 tuneup, August 17: Date, time, where to watch, live stream details and more

Fifth-seeded France and Japan, one of the host countries in the 2023 FIBA World Cup, will take on each other in a friendly game. Both teams are deep in preparation as the World Cup is set to begin on Aug. 25 in Japan, the Philippines and Indonesia.

The French have looked largely unbeatable in their previous five exhibition matches. NBA fans will be familiar with some of the names playing for Les Bleus. Rudy Gobert, Evan Fournier, Nicolas Batum, Frank Ntikilina and even Guerschon Yabusele will lead the team.

The Japanese did not need to qualify as it is one of the host nations. But, they are looking to improve on their 31st finish in the 2019 World Cup in China. New coach Tom Hovasse, who guided the country's women’s basketball team to a silver place in the Tokyo Olympics, assembled a talented roster.

Yuta Watanabe, Rui Hachimura and B. League MVP Yuki Kawamura will lead the Japanese.

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France vs. Japan game details

Date: August 17, 2023

Time: 6:00 AM ET

Venue: Ariake Arena in Tokyo

The French will cap off their 2023 FIBA World Cup preparation with another exhibition game against Australia, the third-ranked team on Aug. 20. They’re looking to maintain their momentum by sweeping their seven tune-up games.

Like their opponents, the Akatsuki Five will close out their preparations with a match against Luka Doncic and the Slovenians. The Japanese team's tune-up games have largely been against Asian countries and New Zealand.

France and Slovenia will be a big step up in terms of talent, depth and execution.

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Where to watch

France vs. Japan will be available via FUBO and FIBA’s official streaming channel Courtside 1891. A few local stations in the host country will also air the game live.

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France's tune-up games for the 2023 FIBA World Cup

Les Bleus has arguably been the most impressive team in the pre-tournament games. They have already beaten Tunisia, Montenegro, Venezuela and Lithuania twice, including one on the road in Vilnius.

Guerschon Yabusele, who played two seasons for the Boston Celtics, has been putting up one solid performance after another for the French. If he sustains his level of play, the French will only be even more formidable.

Rudy Gobert, Evan Fournier and Nic Batum have been invaluable for their veteran leadership and still elite play.

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Japan's tune-up games for the 2023 FIBA World Cup

The Japanese had little trouble dispatching Taipei in two games but split their games against South Korea and New Zealand. The host nation’s 94-75 loss to the Kiwis was troubling as the Asian team looked overwhelmed.

Japan, however, bounced back with an encouraging 75-65 win over Angola. The French, though, will be a big step up in competition. After that, the Slovenians will pose another stiff challenge whether NBA superstar Luka Doncic plays or not.