Spurs’ Tony Parker hopes to become general manager after retirement

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Tony Parker became the majority stakeholder of French basketball club ASVEL Basket in 2014.

It was a move that could have been made as nothing more than a prestige purchase, but Parker has approached his commitment almost as a tutorial, one to prepare him for the second stage of his life.

When not running plays for the Spurs on the court, the future Hall of Fame point guard is running ASVEL as president, overseeing day-to-day operations and making managerial decisions for the team he once played for as a minority owner during the 2011 NBA lockout.

“The best thing was to be in the office every day during the lockout and see the everyday operations,” Parker told The Undefeated.

Parker, who was born in Belgium to an American father and Dutch mother, acquired French nationality as a teenager and has played for the senior national team since 2001.

Spurs player Tony Parker and Tim Duncan walk on the airport tarmac after the San Antonio Spurs return home after losing in Game 6 of the Western Conference semifinals to the Oklahoma City Thunder on Friday, May 13, 2016. Hundreds of fans came out to the private terminal as a show of support for the team and especially for Tim Duncan who may be retiring after playing his entire career in the NBA with the Spurs for 19 seasons. less Spurs player Tony Parker and Tim Duncan walk on the airport tarmac after the San Antonio Spurs return home after losing in Game 6 of the Western Conference semifinals to the Oklahoma City Thunder on Friday, May ... more Photo: Kin Man Hui, San Antonio Express-News Photo: Kin Man Hui, San Antonio Express-News Image 1 of / 21 Caption Close Spurs’ Tony Parker hopes to become general manager after retirement 1 / 21 Back to Gallery

His foray into French professional basketball ownership is not an endgame; it is, he hopes, a precursor of what’s to come.

“I looked at everything,” Parker said. “How to manage a team, marketing, ticket sales, sponsors. It was a great learning experience for me. It’s getting me ready to work in an NBA front office.”

Parker has been outspoken about his desire to retire after his 20th NBA season, which would see him exit the game at the age of 38.

Old for a point guard, but still young for an aspiring NBA executive.

Parker has been building his experience and knowledge base in the hopes that he can make a swift transition from running teams to building them.

Those he employs describe Parker as eager and perhaps even overzealous in his activity with the team despite the fact that AVSEL’s season coincides with the Spurs’.

"He was on the board but day after day his involvement increased,” ASVEL general manager Nordine Ghrib told fibaeurope.com. “Tony Parker must be the boss. He cannot just be in a small position. It is impossible for him.”

Like any good general manager, Parker doesn’t fear a challenge, whether it be rebuilding a franchise or grooming raw prospects or tinkering with cap space to pursue free agents.

"It was Tony Parker who enticed me to come here," ASVEL center David Anderson told fibaeurope.com. "As a project he wanted to rebuild the ASVEL team. They had won so many championships and were such a renowned club and he wanted to build it back up.”

Parker hasn’t had to look far to find help and guidance for his ambitions. In fact, he couldn’t have stumbled into a better apprenticeship if he tried.

“(Spurs general manager R.C. Bufrod’s) door is always open,” Parker told The Undefeated. “He knows that being a GM is what I want to do. The Spurs have always been very helpful. They help me with any questions that I have.

“I will keep the team in France and hopefully I can be in the front office. It’s giving me great experience because I feel like I’m learning so much. I still want to play for five more years. But it’s great to learn.”

nmoyle@express-news.net

Twitter: @NRMoyle