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TJ Parker, coach of Asvel: “Four titles in a row, that has never been done in French basketball …”

2022-09-24T18:46:01.281Z


INTERVIEW – Asvel coach TJ Parker does not evade the importance of the Euroleague. But sets up in priority a 4th consecutive title of champion of France.


Who says LNB media day says chain interviews, like in a factory.

Hard ?

"

No... you have to get used to it

", conceded, smiling, the courted TJ Parker last Tuesday.

The Villeurbannais coach guided Asvel to the 21st national title in its history in June, in the final against Monaco (3 wins to 2).

The club chaired by its illustrious big brother, Tony, is thinking big in the Euroleague.

But refuses to cut corners.

The announced objective is clear: to write the history of a centenary championship.

Since the first coronation, that of Stade Français in 1921, no club has managed the four in a row.

Asvel, three-time defending champion, has a unique opportunity.

It starts this Sunday (7 p.m.) on the Cholet floor.

LE FIGARO –

You spent the last Summer League (summer league) with the Milwaukee Bucks.

How did the opportunity arise?


TJ Parker -

An NBA agent gave me the opportunity.

It works a bit like that in the United States, with former General Managers or coaches that I know.

It is even thanks to Mike Budenholzer, the coach of Milwaukee (

NBA champion in 2021

), who was in San Antonio at the time of Tony (

Parker, his brother and president of Asvel

).

As soon as they were offered that I come to the Summer League, they said yes.

I had never played in the Summer League, either as a player or a coach.

I arrived on July 1 in Milwaukee, it lasted until July 17.

What did you discover there?


This is the world of the NBA.

It was nice to see all the excitement behind a simple summer league.

The halls were full, it was playing hard.

Some players want to earn their place in an NBA roster.

It was a great experience, you learn a lot of things.

How Milwaukee recruits, for example, in relation to their game system, with 4 or 5 positions that can shoot like Brook Lopez (

Bucks center known for his 3-point shot

).

They stay in the same style.

They teach you directly: "We play like that, and we're going to play like that in the Summer League."

The way of training too, how they dissect a training.

Everyone participates.

I saw physiotherapists or physical trainers get on the pitch and participate with the players.

It gives ideas.

I find it fun to get everyone involved.

“Nando (De Colo) is like a second coach who relays the message to the players”

You had an eventful off-season at Asvel (departures from Jones, Okobo, Strazel, Osetkowski and Wembanyama, arrivals from De Colo, Lauvergne, Jackson-Cartwright, Noua...).

You would have imagined that in May?


Already, in May, we had not started on such a substantial budget.

There is the big room which is coming (

Asvel should evolve in an Arena of 16,000 places from December 2023, against 5,560 places at the Astroballe

).

We wanted to give ourselves a year in relation to the great hall.

But after winning a title, everything changed (

smile

).

That's three in a row.

The club's objective is to do something that has never been done in French basketball, to win four in a row.

So plans changed.

What is difficult for us at Asvel is that we change staff all the time.

About 7-8 players leave and we take new ones.

Well, this year, it's a little different because we get players like Nando De Colo and Joffrey Lauvergne.

We are used to having young players, like Guerschon (

Yabusele

) or Elie (

Okobo

), to revive.

There, we have players who have experience of the Euroleague.

It will help the workforce, their teammates, us as staff and me as a coach.

Nando is like a second coach who relays the message to the players.

Read alsoNando De Colo (Asvel): "I always have this desire to win"

You have been at Asvel since 2013. What is the recipe for this change in dimension?


I believe it's Tony, the president.

Since he arrived at the club, it has only gone up.

With the image he had when he was a player, it brings back the sponsors.

I think he is the centerpiece of why the club has grown so big.

Even with Gaëtan (

Müller, deputy president of Asvel

) who works on a daily basis when Tony is not there, he is his right arm.

Where we will really go higher is to have joined a football club like OL, to have made the link with Jean-Michel Aulas.

It's a bit like FC Barcelona or Real Madrid (

whose basketball sections are playing for the title in the Euroleague

).

If we really want to take a step... Now, we have a big venue coming up, we have a lot of things coming up, and that can help for the long term, the dream of winning a European title.

ASVEL is the reigning three-time French champion.

Isn't it difficult to keep motivation with the Euroleague next door, knowing that some players are clearly coming for it?


The number one objective, for now, will always be to win the championship.

Of course, the Euroleague is beautiful, but we must not go too fast.

You have to respect the Euroleague.

Especially since, without the Russians this year, it really strengthened the workforce.

Partizan Belgrade and Virtus Bologna (

who didn't qualify last season

) will be as good as the others.

There aren't really any weak teams in the Euroleague.

It's good to have ambitions, but we have to go step by step.

Joffrey Lauvergne and Nando De Colo are Asvel's two star recruits.

Kevin Domas / PANORAMIC

Of course, everyone has goals.

For us, it's about making the best possible season.

But behind, we still want to keep our title and do 4 in a row.

Because we also have a rivalry with Monaco, which has built a very, very strong team.

That remains the main objective, and the other titles we can win, whether it's the Semaine des As or the Coupe de France.

Tony really wants to win everything, it's his mentality.

You never get tired of winning.

It's fabulous what we did last year in the final, but now it's behind and it's a new season.

“One day, of course, to win the Euroleague”

What differentiates a championship like the Betclic Élite from the Euroleague?


The level of the players.

The Euroleague teams have 14-15 players, which means that they can put an intensity that we must also put in the league, to be sure not to be beaten because the teams are waiting for us all week.

The Euroleague is another level, sometimes tactical too.

Teams really target where to attack you.

A few months ago, Victor Wembanyama

was already talking about the tactical dimension

that is very present in the Euroleague, of a

"

game of chess

"

...


That's it.

It's very targeted.

You see it directly when they attack you, where they want to hurt.

They identify very quickly.

In the short term, you have defined the top 8 as the objective in the Euroleague.

In the long term, is it to play the title?


Of course, I believe that is the objective of the club.

Now, once again, we have to be patient and that we can still grow the budget, to also bring back these players.

If we manage to add one or two players like Nando or Joffrey each time, that would be perfect for us.

We know it will take a little longer.

But it's true that... We have a president called Tony, and in his objectives, he never sees anything lower.

It's always higher.

That's how you have to see it, otherwise you're not moving forward.

He always wants to go higher and bring French basketball to the highest level, and one day of course win the Euroleague.

Source: lefigaro

All sports articles on 2022-09-24

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