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 by buying the 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 fast.
In 2019, we became the first club in history to win both the boys and girls competitions in the same year.
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Has women's basketball become attractive?
I fight every day to make sure it is treated the same way as men's basketball.
And I'm really lucky to have incredible shareholders and sponsors who invest equally in girls and boys.
They put in exactly the same amounts, and that is very important to me.
I also fight for equal pay, for matches to be broadcast on television, for better visibility.
The figures are encouraging, and we must continue to progress.
Do you feel this enthusiasm around female basketball players?
Yes, there is a new audience.
Even in the United States, I was present during the last WNBA finals, and they usually filled a room dedicated to the NBA.
This shows all the interest in this sport.
I also see it at our level.
We filled the Villeurbanne Astroballe when we won the European Cup last year and when the girls were French champions.
This represents 6,000 places.
When I arrived, in 2017, we didn't even reach 200 paid places.
This shocked me.
I didn't understand why it had to be free for women and paying 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 Johannès 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.
Beyond the player, she is a person that I appreciate enormously, we have established a friendship.
She knows she can count on me at any time.
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 football team 98 Zinédine Zidane and Thierry Henry.
It's incredible to have Marine with us and in the French team.
I'm really lucky to have incredible shareholders and sponsors who invest equally 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.