« I like challenges »

Tony, when did you first speak with the people at ASVEL ? About a year ago I was approached by various clubs in France. Talks were initiated with Rouen, Lille and ASVEL. Following careful review my choice lead towards Villeurbanne. The team’s key personnel came to see me in mid-January in San Antonio and it is then that we’ve decided to work together. Why choose ASVEL ? I’ve analyzed the various possibilities. I knew ASVEL’s project since my visit during the NBA Europe Live in 2006. The team has strong foundations and it is a good mix between tradition and modernity. What is truly exciting is that there are still a lot to do. I like challenges and the challenges ahead with ASVEL are good. You had already invested with Paris Basket Racing but the outcome was not what you had expected… You cannot compare. In Villeurbanne there is already a complete structure with a solid project. I am coming with the idea to accompany this project because we share the same visions and values. These are two forces that need to be united. I will work closely with the team’s management and in particular with Pierre Grall who has built the team with the coach, Vincent Collet. Why invest in a club while you are only in the midst of your career ? It is a project that I always had in me; managing a club and if possible in France in order to give back to basketball what it has given me. Villeurbanne has been the key club in France for a number of years and this club has a history. As the will to grow is there this is moment ot invest and to launch myself in this great adventure. What are your goals ? Over the long term it is to build one of the best club in Europe. We know that it will take some time but I am used to follow road maps and to stick to them. It is hard to compete with other European clubs with bigger financial means; thinking about Greeks and Russian team for example. Of course we will not be able to play head to head with them at the beginning but we are various ideas to perform well on the sporting side. What are some of the ideas ? We will develop the Tony Parker Academy. A large training facility will be launched in the Fall of 2010. This facility will include the pro team and the young players from the training academy. We are now conscious that the best European players have high salary expectancies. In order to face this we wish to rely on training new talents. France is an example of this and we won’t cut this out of the project. What are some of the key priorities now ? To get the best results possible from this year on but we must prepare the future like closing on the new area for the resident team and the Euroleague licence. We cannot imagine for one second that these two projects won’t come to life. We thus have to work now on building a team that can aim at the Euroleague Top 16 as early as next season. Can you talk about the Euroleague license, synonymous with qualifying for the most important European competition ? If the Euroleague President, Jordi Bertomeu, is now being tentative about French basketball it is for the second licence in France that shall be given on sporting criterias (the French league champion is automatically qualified for the competition). ASVEL is now a candidate for this wild-card and has a strong case. I am confident. A new stadium is in the works. Gilles Moretton (ASVEL’s president) and Antony Thiodet (VP) are following this closely. I see no reason why we could not have in France the facilities that you can see everywhere in Europe. France deserves this arena. How much have you invested in ASVEL ? I do not wish to go into details but I can tell that I also have an option to take the majority of the club and to become its president. This is no in the news today and I have the opportunity to start with Gilles Moretton and Antony Thiodet who both have a great experience at this level. I thus wish to learn at their side prior to taking more responsibilities. Tony Parker playing for ASVEL; is this a possibility ? It can happen. At the end of my NBA career I could very well play on more year at the highest level with ASVEL. I will be happy to end my career in France, in front of my fans. It will be a nice going out party. We’ve discussed this with Eva (Longoria Parker, his wife) and she won’t be against living in France for a year. We are far from this today as I still have ten years to play in the NBA.