In terms of basketball, Tony Parker has nothing to show for a long time. The former player of the San Antonio Spurs (NBA) and the France team, now president of the ASVEL club (current 7th in Betclic Elite), always has an eye on what is happening on the other side of the Atlantic, especially if it concerns the French and more precisely the small nuggets who could potentially break into the NBA. On this subject, “Ti-Pi” has a rather critical view, except perhaps for the current phenomenon, Victor Wembanyama.
At 18, the Ile-de-France prodigy who still plays for the Metropolitans of Boulogne-Levallois has become a world attraction. Questioned by our colleagues from the team, Tony Parker unsurprisingly predicts a glorious future for the one who was still in his club last year: “Victor is a phenomenon apart, who has everything to succeed, but he missed half of last season with us because of injuries.”
For the legendary No. 9, VW will therefore have to be very careful about how he will manage the rest of his career, including the next draft, this player grant that characterizes North American team sports before each new season: “The most important thing is that he (Victor Wembanyama) stays healthy. If he does, he’ll be number one in the 2023 draft and change the franchise he’ll go to. I wish him a Tim Duncan career (his ex-teammate in San Antonio). »
“The draft no longer means anything today”
However, he is rather circumspect about the way things are going: “The draft no longer means anything today. We select young people on their potential, but the potential may or may not be realized behind it. Before, you did two or three years at university in the United States, where you played at the best level in France before presenting yourself for the draft. Our young people are leaving too soon, and that’s a shame because you can’t force them to stay in France or in Europe. I get it, there’s a lot of money to be made in the United States. But the Americans are very strict on recruitment. Out of 400 active NBA players, you have 60 new ones arriving every year, so you only have one chance to make a good impression. Better to arrive prepared. I advise (them) to resist the sirens of money, to know how to be lucid and leave at the right time, after having accumulated experience (…) Talent can come from anywhere today. »
The French contingent is down this year in the NBA, with only nine players on the starting line. Beyond Evan Fournier, Nicolas Batum and Rudy Gobert, who have been well established in the North American league for several years, young talents, such as Killian Hayes (Detroit Pistons), are struggling to show themselves despite having been drafted high enough. .