With the NBA season in jeopardy , San Antonio Spurs guard Tony Parker has decided to take his talents to France, where he will reportedly play for the minimum salary ($1,995 per month) and pay for his own insurance.
“I’ll be playing nearly for free,” French newspaper L’Equipe recently quoted Parker as saying. “If I play the entire season, we’ll go for the title.”
Parker, a star in his native country both on and off the basketball court, will join ASVEL, a team based in Villeurbanne – near Lyon in southeast France – that he just happens to partially own.
The 29-year-old three-time NBA champion told the sports daily L’Equipe that the decision is “logical.” Tony is vice president of the club and wants to help it advance.
By signing with ASVEL, Parker became the third spur to make the oversea-move in light of the ongoing NBA lockout, joining teammate DeJuan Blair, who recently signed with Russian team BC Krasnye Krylya Samara , and Danny Green, who signed in Slovenia.
According to ESPN, Tony Parker will discuss his decision at a news conference to be held on Thursday, October 6 at noon (6am EST) in Paris. He is also scheduled to play his first game for ASVEL on Oct. 14 against Paris.
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