The double title champion, ASVEL, starts its 2022 playoffs this Tuesday evening. Tony Parker’s team receives Cholet Basket for the first leg of the quarter-finals. After a very complicated EuroLeague return phase, the Rhone squad reassured themselves by chaining successes in Betclic ELITE to finish first in the regular season and thus benefit from home advantage in the playoffs. Asked by Le Progrès at the start of these final stages, President Tony Parker congratulated his group:
“We had so many injuries that it was hard to get this first place and I’m really proud of the team. They didn’t give up.”
“Cholet is not a quarterback like any other. They are very dangerous”
If ASVEL were to win a third title in a row, it would achieve a series that has only been accomplished four times in the history of the French championship, by Mulhouse (1924, 1925 and 1926), ASVEL (1955, 1956 and 1957), and the Limoges CSP twice (1983, 1984 and 1985 then 1988, 1989 and 1990). In fact, ASVEL finds itself a favorite according to its president. A status that will not be easy to assume, including in the quarter-finals:
“We are because we won the last two titles. Afterwards, we know very well that it is very hard to win the title three times in a row. And Cholet is not a quarterback like any other. They are very dangerous.”
During this interview, Tony Parker takes the opportunity to give his position on the future of the Betclic ELITE. For him, it must increase to 16 clubs, as planned, while this change is questioned by some of the LNB clubs:
“I think that we have problems to have interesting TV rights and TV prefers to have 16 clubs than 18. You have to know what you want. I find it difficult to understand. We had all started agreement on the fact that it was better for the future of French basketball to have 16 elite clubs…”
A statement that will probably not be to the liking of several second-tier clubs and Pro B, as well as their supporters.
#LDLCASVEL #PlayoffsBetclicELITE pic.twitter.com/jicG4Snj9O
— LDLC ASVEL (@LDLCASVEL) May 24, 2022
