Tony Parker pushes back against critics: 'I don't care what people say' / News - Basketnews.com

Parker said he was too soft in his fiery criticism of Pozzecco earlier this season and revealed he takes criticism of his work as compliments.

Credit: AP Photo/Eric Gay - Scanpix Credit AP Photo/Eric Gay - Scanpix

LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne will finish the EuroLeague season in the bottom two for the third season in a row. The club's president, Tony Parker, shared what he thinks about it.

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"It’s a subject we think about every day. No one wants it more than us. We do our best. But we have one of the smallest budgets. We have to give it time, develop without burning our wings, and be careful, especially given the financial difficulties with SKWEEK at the moment. We can't do anything," Parker said in an interview with Yann Ohnona from L'Equipe.

SWEEK is the club's main sponsor. According to reports in France, it currently owes millions of euros to both ASVEL and Monaco.

"I am not going to go into the figures. We will do what any club would do. But I have confidence that we will quickly find a solution before we get to that point," Parker said about taking legal action against the company.

Throughout this season, ASVEL have dismissed two head coaches already - TJ Parker and Gianmarco Pozzecco. Following Pozzecco's dismissal, Parker gave a fiery interview to L'Equipe where he publicly bashed the Italian head coach for failing to keep his promises.

While Parker blamed Pozzecco, the Hall of Famer himself received wide criticism for his comments.

"This is the essence of my job. I am fortunate to have the trust of my shareholders. Look at the history over the last ten years: the titles, the Euroleague license, the academy, the new venue... We have always done what we announced. Regarding Gianmarco Pozzecco, I received a lot of support. I was even soft in this interview," Parker said.

"It's the first time for me, and I don't want to experience this every year because you need stability to improve. This does not prevent you from having to make difficult decisions. Pierric [Poupet] was not a choice by default," Parker continued. "We favored an internal solution, and the results were positive. Our defeats in Monaco, in the Cup, and in the Leaders Cup, against Nanterre, who are having a great season, are nothing to be ashamed of. It's sports."

Although ASVEL hold the EuroLeague A license, the team's lackluster production and unfulfilled roster potential have received widespread criticism. Despite being asked whether ASVEL should hire some people in managerial positions with EuroLeague experience, Tony Parker dismissed the notion and revealed he thinks people only criticize the great ones.

"I don't care what people say or think. Our budget is validated by our shareholders. We have a system that works well for recruitment, where everyone expresses their opinion and where we make decisions together: me, Nicolas Batum, Michel Veyronnet (sports director), Gaetan Muller (delegate president), and our coach. Kobe [Bryant] said that haters only attack the great ones, not the good ones. I take criticism as compliments," Parker concluded.

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