Michel Bonnevie joined Stade français in 1932 after his father insisted that he learn how to swim. He soon took up numerous athletic pursuits, including handball, ping-pong, boxing, and track and field athletics, but he was most successful in basketball. He made 10 appearances with the French national basketball team between 1948 and 1950, with his most notable coming at the 1948 Summer Olympics, where the French team won the silver medal. Bonnevie played in three of the squad’s seven games, including the final against the United States. Domestically, he played into the 1960s and, by career, worked in retail management and was also an educator. In honor of his 90th birthday, the Centre Fédéral de Basket-ball named its promotions after him for the 2011-2012 season.
France