1. Early Life and Background
1.1. Youth and Amateur Career
Francisco began his youth club basketball career playing for Paris Basket Racing, Villemomble Sports, and AL Roche-la-Molière in France. In 2014, he moved to Florida, USA, to pursue his secondary education and play high school basketball. He played for the Elev8 Sports Institute in Delray Beach during the 2014-2015 season, followed by Liberty Christian Preparatory School in Tavares for the 2015-2016 season, and West Oaks Academy in Orlando during the 2016-2017 season. After high school, Francisco received offers to play college basketball from various NCAA Division I programs, but he ultimately decided to return to France to begin his professional career.
2. Professional Career
2.1. Early French League Career
Francisco started his professional club career with Metropolitans 92 (then Levallois Metropolitans) in the French men's basketball first division. He signed his first professional contract with the club at the end of the 2017-2018 season. However, expressing a desire to join the G-League and eventually the NBA, he did not report to the club's training the following summer. In December 2018, he signed with Paris Basketball in the LNB Pro B. After playing two seasons with Paris Basketball, he returned to the French first division by signing with Chorale Roanne for the 2020-2021 season. He departed from Roanne in June 2021.
2.2. International League Career
After leaving France, Francisco signed with the Spanish club Manresa in Liga Endesa at the end of August 2021. For the 2022-2023 season, Francisco joined Peristeri of the Greek Basket League. During his time there, he averaged 12.6 points, 2.9 rebounds, 5.3 assists, and 1.5 steals across 31 games in the Greek domestic league, playing approximately 28 minutes per contest. In 9 games played in the 2022-23 FIBA Basketball Champions League, he averaged 16.2 points, 2.1 rebounds, and 5.8 assists per game. He parted ways with the Greek club on June 29, 2023.
On July 20, 2023, Francisco signed with Bayern Munich, competing in the German Basketball Bundesliga (BBL) and the EuroLeague. With Bayern Munich, he won the BBL-Pokal on February 18, 2024, after defeating Ratiopharm Ulm in the final. Francisco was named the Final Four MVP for his performance. On July 1, 2024, Francisco signed a two-year (1+1) deal with Žalgiris Kaunas to play in the Lithuanian Basketball League (LKL) and the EuroLeague.
2.3. NBA Summer League
In the summer of 2022, Sylvain Francisco participated in the NBA Summer League as a member of the Milwaukee Bucks roster.
3. National Team Career
Sylvain Francisco has represented France at both junior and senior levels. He played with France's junior national team at the 2016 FIBA U20 European Championship. On February 24, 2022, he received his first selection to the senior French national team for the 2023 FIBA World Cup qualifiers. He later represented France at the main tournament, the 2023 FIBA World Cup.
4. Career Statistics
4.1. EuroLeague
| Year | Team | Games played | Games started | Minutes per game | Field goal percentage | 3-point field-goal percentage | Free-throw percentage | Rebounds per game | Assists per game | Steals per game | Blocks per game | Points per game | Performance Index Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023-24 | Bayern Munich | 33 | 0 | 19.3 | .387 | .354 | .814 | 1.7 | 3.2 | .7 | - | 10.6 | 10.7 |
| Career | 33 | 0 | 19.3 | .387 | .354 | .814 | 1.7 | 3.2 | .7 | - | 10.6 | 10.7 | |
4.2. EuroCup
| Year | Team | Games played | Games started | Minutes per game | Field goal percentage | 3-point field-goal percentage | Free-throw percentage | Rebounds per game | Assists per game | Steals per game | Blocks per game | Points per game | Performance Index Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017-18 | Metropolitans 92 | 10 | 2 | 16.6 | .591 | .500 | .727 | 1.5 | 1.6 | .4 | .1 | 7.2 | 7.0 |
| Career | 10 | 2 | 16.6 | .591 | .500 | .727 | 1.5 | 1.6 | .4 | .1 | 7.2 | 7.0 | |
4.3. Basketball Champions League
| Year | Team | Games played | Games started | Minutes per game | Field goal percentage | 3-point field-goal percentage | Free-throw percentage | Rebounds per game | Assists per game | Steals per game | Blocks per game | Points per game |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021-22 | Manresa | 16 | 1 | 19.9 | .390 | .311 | .844 | 1.8 | 3.2 | 1.1 | .1 | 11.7 |
| 2022-23 | Peristeri | 9 | 5 | 31.5 | .447 | .344 | .780 | 2.1 | 5.8 | 1.8 | .2 | 16.2 |
| Career | 25 | 6 | 24.0 | .412 | .324 | .808 | 1.9 | 4.1 | 1.4 | .1 | 13.4 | |
4.4. Domestic Leagues
| Year | Team | League | Games played | Minutes per game | Field goal percentage | 3-point field-goal percentage | Free-throw percentage | Rebounds per game | Assists per game | Steals per game | Blocks per game | Points per game |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017-18 | Metropolitans 92 | Pro A | 24 | 12.7 | .280 | .212 | 1.000 | 1.1 | 1.9 | .4 | .1 | 3.5 |
| 2018-19 | Paris | Pro B | 26 | 23.5 | .386 | .353 | .738 | 2.7 | 3.4 | 1.5 | .1 | 9.6 |
| 2019-20 | Paris | Pro B | 23 | 30.6 | .386 | .321 | .716 | 3.5 | 5.5 | 1.9 | .2 | 13.1 |
| 2020-21 | Chorale Roanne | LNB Élite | 32 | 30.3 | .425 | .284 | .707 | 2.9 | 4.7 | 1.9 | .2 | 14.7 |
| 2021-22 | Manresa | ACB | 30 | 18.1 | .402 | .342 | .730 | 1.2 | 3.3 | .9 | .2 | 10.7 |
| 2022-23 | Peristeri | HEBA A1 | 31 | 27.7 | .409 | .298 | .690 | 2.9 | 5.3 | 1.5 | .1 | 12.6 |
| 2023-24 | Bayern Munich | BBL | 33 | 18.1 | .467 | .397 | .794 | 1.7 | 3.2 | 1.1 | - | 11.7 |