Tony Parker: 'It's a shame we can't force young players to stay in Europe' / News - Basketnews.com

ASVEL Villeurbanne's president Tony Parker thinks young players leave Europe for the NBA way too soon, and teams in the Old Continent can do nothing about it.

Credit: PHILIPPE DESMAZES / AFP Credit PHILIPPE DESMAZES / AFP

Tony Parker wishes young European players would stay in the Old Continent a little longer.

Tony Parker

Position:PGAge:40Height:188 cmWeight:84 kgBirth place:Bruges, BelgiumProfileNewsStatistics

It's an issue that has been talked about for a long time. Nikola Batum recently said that when his generation of players arrived in the USA, "they had nothing left to prove in France. We fought to establish ourselves, gain credibility and respect, we were ready for what was ahead."

"You didn't even dare to think about being selected if you hadn't dominated the French LBN - and today it's a failure if you don't put your name out there," the NBA veteran told L' Equipe.

Now, Tony Parker has repeated the obvious: the dream of playing in the NBA has become a double-edged sword in recent years. The French have welcomed an NBA season in which they will have six players with guaranteed contracts, although every year the names of their young basketball players appear in the draft.

Parker is not impressed, because quantity doesn't always equal quality.

"The draft means nothing today. We select young players based on their potential, but that potential may or may not materialize. Before, you had to play two or three years of college basketball in the USA or be present at the highest level in France in order to be drafted at all," ASVEL's president said, as reported by L' Equipe.

So, Batum was right to suggest young people leave too soon?

"Yes, and it's a real shame that we can't force them to stay in France or Europe. I get it, there's a lot of money to be made in the US, but Americans are pretty strict when it comes to recruiting.

You have 400 active basketball players in the NBA, and 60 new ones come every season, so you only have one chance to make a good impression. It's better to go prepared," says San Antonio's former All-Star point guard.

As the president of ASVEL, Parker was asked about the advice he would give to young players who want to try themselves in the NBA.

"To resist the power of money. They should be smart and leave at the right time, only when they have gathered enough experience."

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