Yahoo Sports’ Kerri Walsh Jennings sits down with legendary NBA star and Olympian Tony Parker in the Visa Lounge at the Chase Sapphire Reserve to discuss France’s potential for gold at this year’s Olympics and the growing French influence in the NBA.
Video transcript
Kerri Walsh Jennings here at Yahoo Sports and I’m sitting with a legendary, the incredible Tony Parker, former NBA star forever an Olympian.
And I’m here in the Chase Sapphire Reserve Visa Lounge.
France has yet to win a gold medal for French basketball.
But in Tokyo you took home the silver.
So you think this is your year?
I think we have a very talented team, but it will still be difficult to beat the USA. If I think the USA this year, uh, with Lebron, KD and Steph Curry, I think it’s going to be very, very difficult to beat them.
So it would be great to be in the final.
Uh, I’ll be super happy if we make it to the final, but I think we have to be realistic, even if it’s the USA during the preparation.
You think, oh, maybe they can be beat this year.
I’m like, man, when game time comes, it’s going to be really, really hard to beat them.
I think they will get the gold medal because the French influence in the NBA is only growing, you know, you have Victor, you have these incredible athletes and it’s all your fault.
What do you think as French influence within the NBA grows, will it affect the Olympic movement?
In fact, to be honest with you, Carrie, I feel very proud and proud to inspire an entire generation.
When I arrived, there were just two French people and I was the first Frenchman to be an NBA champion and an all star.
And then having the number one pick back to back with Victor and now Zakari who came to my academy, both came from my academy, both played on my French national team.
We both won championships with my French team to see.
Now they play at the highest level at the Olympic stage.
It’s incredible and I never thought of it in my wildest dreams and I always dream big, but this is really special.
Obviously, Victor is playing for the Spurs, his former franchise.
What guidance you gave him to, you know, maintain excellence as a Spur is incredible, just like his head and his mental side, it’s nothing I can say to him.
It’s like he’s ready.
He doesn’t mind pressure or expectation.
He’s a little like Lebron.
You know, the only one I can compare to with so much anticipation before you arrived is Lebron James.
I think he’s the only one you can really compare.
And Victor, the way he played his debut season at Spurs.
He was unbelievable.
And so I hope that translates into a lot of championships for the Spurs and I hope that translates into a lot of medals for French basketball.
He has a chance to be one of the best players in the history of our game.
So what are you doing here?
I’m here with the Chase Safa Reserve Visa just to have an experience with the fans to do a meet and greet.
Uh, I came here on the boat, so it was really cool.
And, uh, and I, and I like the idea of sharing experiences like I’m a kid, you know, growing up and going to an event and I can, you know, ask some questions to all the top athletes, like, if I If I could have talked to Michael Jordan, it would have been incredible.
And so I think it’s a really cool idea and a cool experience.
