By Antonis Stroggylakis/ info@eurohoops.net
While ASVEL will have to wait until 2019 – 2020 to play in EuroLeague, given that certain commitments are fulfilled, club president Tony Parker thinks that this wait will benefit the organization in order to be better prepared for the top-tier European competition.
“We will soon represent France in Euroleague,” Parker said per during the halftime of ASVEL’s French League 52 – 78 road loss to Limoges, Sunday (6/5), per French RMC Sport. “I want the team to be ready in 2019-2020. I’m happy because it’s a bad thing for a good thing. We still need a year to make progress.”
The four-time NBA champion wants to see ASVEL becoming more competitive to be ready for the EuroLeague challenge. “We wanted to make the Top 8 in EuroCup. We were aiming for the quarterfinals. We didn’t do it, but we can have progress next season. There are still a lot of things do to join EuroLeague.”
Parker used two specific clubs to illustrate the type of model he wants to implement on ASVEL: Reigning German League champion Brose Bamberg and Lithuanian powerhouse Zalgiris Kaunas. The latter advanced to the EuroLeague Final Four this season despite having one of the lowest budgets in the competition.
“Zalgiris Kaunas and Brose Bamberg are examples to follow. We will never be CSKA Moscow or Fenerbahce. Their economic model isn’t what we want to achieve,” Parker said.
ASVEL is currently sixth in the French League with 18 – 14 record.