Baptiste Fernandez/Icon Sport
The young Courts retiree, who was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2023, has contributed greatly to the impact of basketball, most notably by purchasing the ASVEL Women’s Club in 2017.
Madame Figaro. – Why did you invest in French women’s basketball?
Tony Parker. –I wanted to help women’s basketball. I wanted to create a unique club and give back to my country, to French basketball, what I had received. I started buying ASVEL Men’s Club in 2014; The logical next step was to create a women’s club and a successful club in both categories. Everything happened really quickly. In 2019 we became the first club in history to win both the boys and girls tournaments in the same year.
Has women’s basketball become attractive?
I fight every day to make sure it’s treated like men’s basketball. And I’m really lucky to have incredible shareholders and sponsors who are equally invested in girls and boys. They put in exactly the same amount, and that’s very important to me. I am also fighting for equal pay, broadcasting the matches on television, better visibility. The numbers are encouraging and we must continue to progress.
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Are you feeling this excitement around female basketball players?
Yes, there is a new audience. Even in the US I attended the last WNBA finals and they usually filled the NBA room. This shows all the interest in this sport. I see it at our level as well. We filled the Villeurbanne Astroballe when we won the European Cup last year and when the girls were champions of France. This represents 6,000 seats. When I arrived in 2017, we did not even reach 200 paid places. This shocked me. I didn’t understand why it should be free for women and pay for men, when they are athletes like us. Filling the Astroball today is a real source of pride.
What do you think of the Marine Johannes phenomenon?
She is a basketball player who is incredible and unique. No girl plays like her. You never know what she’s going to do, and that’s great for women’s basketball. In addition to being a player, he is a person whom I appreciate immensely, we have established a friendship. He knows he can count on me anytime. She is passionate about basketball, I will always remember the day she signed with us, it was very important for the development of the club and women’s basketball. Every sport needs its stars, the NBA had Michael Jordan, the French soccer team in 98 Zinedine Zidane and Thierry Henry. It’s incredible to have Marine with us and in the France team.
I am truly fortunate to have incredible shareholders and sponsors who are equally invested in girls and boys.
Tony Parker
Can we hope for a medal at the Olympic Games?
Of course, we have one of the most talented teams, great leaders and obviously we can have a medal.
Source: Le Figaro
