Despite the uncertainty that surrounds him, Tony Parker remains optimistic about the future of European basketball. Currently in China as part of the tour NBA local, the owner of the Asvel gave an interview to our colleagues in China Dailyand reiterated his desire to see all stakeholders collaborate to continue developing basketball on the old continent.
An inevitable NBA Europe League
The former French international is categorical about the arrival of the NBA in Europe: « The NBA Europe League, for me, is only a matter of time. They arrive, and it will be done. The NBA is a very strong brand, recognized worldwide, and in Europe, everyone knows it. ”
Parker, which holds shares in the Euroleague as the owner of ASVEL, considers this development as a major opportunity to raise the level of European basketball. She could also give more flexibility and financial serenity to his club, in which he had to reinject funds. « This is why I think that the NBA can be very useful for increasing the notoriety of basketball in Europe ”he said during his visit to Chengdu to promote a streetball tournament supported by the NBA.
The ambitious project of NBA And the FIBA plans to bring together up to 16 teams by 2027 or 2028, including European capitals clubs such as Berlin, London, Madrid and Paris, to which would be added a dozen “franchises”. Four places would also be available via Basketball Champions League.
Union is strength to Parker
In this perspective, Tony Parker advocates collaboration rather than confrontation. « I think it’s a great idea. If the Euroleague, the NBA and the FIBA manage to collaborate to build a solid league, it will be great for European basketballs ”he said.
The quadruple NBA champion has also proposed as a mediator between the Euroleague and the NBA, believing that his experience of the two universes can facilitate discussions. « In the end, we discuss and try to move forward in the right direction. For me, as the owner of a French club, an agreement between the three (NBA, FIBA and Euroleague) is the key to the success of European basketball. ”
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This vision of a tripartite collaboration could well draw the contours of the future European basketball landscape, whether with or without Tony Parker on the front line to defend the interests of French and European basketball, while the leaders of these major bodies met in Cyprus during the EuroBasket 2025.
