Tony Parker will not be on the Asvel bench for his first preseason game as head coach, with the club confirming that he will miss Friday’s clash with Saint-Chamond due to contractual obligations with the NBA.
Tony Parker was expected to make his first appearance as Asvel head coach on French soil on August 28, but he is currently in the Philippines for NBA-related commitments. Instead, Vincent Collet will take charge of the Villeurbanne side at Arena Saint-Etienne Metropole.
ℹ️ Vincent Collet dirigera notre équipe ce vendredi pour notre premier match de préparation de la saison à Saint-Chamond, notre Head Coach Tony Parker étant retenu par des obligations contractuelles avec la NBA. pic.twitter.com/nsrJcDjbKx
— LDLC ASVEL (@LDLCASVEL) August 27, 2026
Tony Parker heads to the Philippines for NBA House
Parker had already led several training sessions in Lyon earlier this week after watching France’s friendly against Serbia courtside in Orleans on Sunday. He then travelled to the Philippines alongside Jason Kidd and Lauren Jackson for the NBA House in Manila.
“It’s great to be back in Manila. The TQO in 2016 was great. The energy is incredible in the Philippines, you have so much love for basketball and the NBA. It’s special to be here, I’m very happy to be back ten years later!” Parker said on Thursday morning.
His absence means that Parker’s first game as Asvel head coach on French soil will have to wait. The former San Antonio Spurs star was expected to lead the team against Saint-Chamond at the same arena where Asvel won the Leaders Cup in 2023.
The development comes after a turbulent summer for the club, with Parker making significant adjustments as Asvel dealt with major financial changes.
Parker cut his salary five times to keep his coaching staff
Parker was initially set to become one of the highest-paid coaches in French basketball history. However, after a turbulent summer at Asvel, he revealed that he reduced his salary five times in order to keep the majority of his coaching staff intact.
According to L’Équipe, the decision allowed Parker to retain the staff led by Vincent Collet, with Guillaume Soares the exception as he had been expected to serve as assistant defensive coordinator.
Parker explained why keeping his coaching staff together was so important to him:
“It’s important that my entire coaching staff is here. They shouldn’t have to suffer because of what happened.”
The decision was made amid major financial changes at Asvel, following the collapse of the club’s previously announced €59 million budget project.
