Tony Parker ready to head back to France if NBA lockout wipes out the next season – NBA News
After Deron Williams created splashes by announcing that he will be heading to Turkey this off season, if the lockout doesn’t end, the talk of moving away from NBA has become a trend among the players. The latest to join this chorus
is none other than San Antonio Spur’s point guards Tony Parker. Parker announced recently that he may return to France if the work stoppage wipes out the next season.
"If in January-February, the NBA says the lockout will last until the end of the season, I will come to France, but the NBA season can start anytime. They will not say in October that the strike will last all year, it does not
work like that. But if so, I'd head over to the ASVEL because I'm general manager and executive director." Parker said.
The 29 year old Parker played for four seasons in France, before he was drafted by the Spurs, back in 2001. His arrival sounded a new era for the Spurs and together with Tim Duncan and Manu Ginobili, he has established Spurs one
of the most dominant sides in NBA.
It’s not a big surprise anymore that the players are coming up with the backup plan and considering to play overseas if they have an option, as the work stoppage uncertainty has put the players in a tough position. In was only
during last fall, that Parker signed a 50 million dollars - four year agreement with Spurs, but with all the uncertainty looming over the league, he has made it official that he will go back to France and help his partially owned team ‘Asvel’.
The National Basketball Association officially locked out its players on 1st of July when the previous Collective Bargaining Agreement expired. A number of meetings took place between the NBA owners and the players’
union before the expiration of the old CBA; however both the parties did not even come close to making a settlement.
At the moment, no one has the answers as to how much time this dispute will take to be resolved.
However, unlike couple of other players, who have decided to play overseas only until the lockout ends, Parker has suggested that he may start playing for the French teams permanently.
This undoubtedly creates a big concern for the Spurs.
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