Tony Parker, French Team Owner, Says NBA Europe Is Inevitable

Tony Parker is bullish on the NBA’s prospective European league and expects to see it in the near future. 

The Hall of Famer and Frenchman was in Chengdu, China on Sunday to promote a streetball tournament when he was asked about the league’s overseas venture.

NBA commissioner Adam Silver said in March that the league was set to “explore a potential league in Europe with FIBA.” Few concrete details have emerged since. 

Parker, who played 18 NBA seasons and won four titles with the Spurs, is now the owner of ASVEL in France, which competes in the Euroleague and France’s top division. (Victor Wembanyama played for ASVEL in 2022–23 before joining Metropolitans 92 and ultimately the Spurs.) Parker didn’t rule out his own franchise being part of the NBA’s European league, which could launch as early as next year, according to The Athletic. 

“At the end of the day, we are talking and we are trying to go in the right direction,” Parker told China Daily. “For me, as an owner of a French club, having an agreement between the three is the key to the success of European basketball,” he said, referring to the NBA, FIBA, and EuroLeague. “NBA Europe league for me is just a matter of time. They are coming, and it’s going to happen…I think the NBA can be very helpful to help elevate the game’s profile in Europe.”

NBA commissioner Adam Silver announced the venture with FIBA secretary-general Andreas Zagklis in March. In July, Marc Stein reported that Silver was in London with deputy commissioner Mark Tatum to meet with U.K. prime minister Keir Starmer about the league.  

The new league would be separate from the EuroLeague, which is widely considered the second-best men’s league in the world behind the NBA. EuroLeague CEO Paulius Motiejūnas told The Athletic in July that any new league would “create confusion” for fans. He expects to have another meeting with FIBA and the NBA this month.