By Aris Barkas/ barkas@eurohoops.net
On Friday Tony Parker himself announced that he is the new owner of ASVEL and that’s just the start of his plans. After the reports about a PSG basketball team knocking the door of Euroleague, also Parker wants to see his team in the top continental competition of Europe, as he said to “L’ Equipe”: “I hope to have a deal with Euroleague in the next two or three years, have an exhibition game with the Spurs in order to get the team known, following the example of Barcelona or Real Madrid… I want ASVEL to evolve into one of the biggest clubs in Europe and a brand known all over the world”.
Parker decided that he had to be in full control in order to impose his vision: “I have decided to buy the whole club. Right now, I am the majority owner and at the end of May I will be also the president of ASVEL. I said to my self that If I wanted to apply my vision, my philosophy and everything I have learned with the Spurs in order to profit ASVEL to the maximum, I should be the president in order to impose all this. When I first arrived to ASVEL, many people believed that this was my club, but I wasn’t making any decision. On the basketball plan, yes I could for the last two seasons, but I couldn’t impose my vision to the club”.