Sounding like NBA Commissioner David Stern over teams building new arenas to remain competitive, so is San Antonio Spurs' Tony Parker with French club ASVEL Villeurbanne.
Parker, who is a minority owner in ASVEL and played for the team during this past season's NBA lockout, is on the record telling the team he will step back his role in financing the team or all together leave the team's ownership staff if a new arena isn't built (via French site Le'Equipe).
"I want to do my project (new arena) ASVEL but if I cannot, I have to consider other possibilities,"
"Maybe I'm a little behind but it's been three years since I joined and I feel that it does not move. I try to be patient but I'm not a patient, "he says.
Adding to TP's patience running out is the fact a proposed new arena for ASVEL was abandoned and dead in the water in the past. Since then, there has been no further action to build a new arena.
Parker does say his aim is to simply build a state-of-the-art arena to remain competitive in the Euroleague. Specifically, he wants a venue that can seat 15,000 and host other events.
Though Parker says he remains committed to building a winning team, it seems time is running out on his future with ASVEL.
