the basketball player is preparing to launch a new concept in Hauts-de-Seine

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A promising starting five on paper, but with a game plan that is still nebulous. The legend of French basketball and Spurs de San Antonio (United States), Tony Parker, was at the Sports City of Issy-les-Moulineauxin Hauts-de-Seine, Thursday October 10, 2024, in the company of other big names in their respective fields, in order to present his next major entrepreneurial project: CampUS (like “we” in English) Tony Parker. A press conference which had no longer intended to advertise of the program than to specify its contours.

5 star cast

The mayor of the City and former minister, André Santini. A reference in the education sector, Agnès Perrin-Turenne. A powerful businessman and big boss of the Les Mousquetaires group – one of the main economic players in Issy-les-Moulineaux – Thierry Cotillard. Entrepreneur Serge Bueno (Smart Good Things). And, finally, the former leader of the Blues, Tony Parker. It’s hard to get more flashy.

A large Nike brand advertising poster had also been deployed behind their backs. And the first two rows were reserved for the press. Just so that the photos are successful. Serge Bueno didn’t hide it too much. “There is a big heart behind this project, a mission of justice. This is the message that you must share,” he told the media.

Great resources but an educational program in its embryonic state?

But what exactly are we talking about? “Qualifying training dedicated to sports management», says Thierry Cotillard. All of this is aimed at employees of private sector companies “based in Issy-les-Moulineaux and in Greater Paris” and then, from September 2025, at post-Bac students. This should start in three months, January 2025 . “There will be a program linked to creativity and another to data, to AI (artificial intelligence)… We will start the educational design in order to be ready in January,” confided, for her part, Agnès Perrin- Turenne.

On the financial level, Serge Bueno announced a budget of around a million euros for the year 2025. While Thierry Cotillard assured that he would make “his network available”. Agnès Perrin-Turenne also spoke of a “ equal opportunities department [rendu possible grâce aux nombreux partenaires]», with scholarships supposed to allow young people with meager incomes “to access excellence through this system”.

Materclasses and events with athletes and para-athletes are, finally, planned for partner companies which will be “federated within a business club“. Numerous twinnings with other cities, a partnership with an embassyand discussions with European countries – including Italy – and Africa are also in the pipeline, in order to set up student exchanges, in particular.

What is Tony Parker doing in Hauts-de-Seine?

Almost a year ago to the day, “TP” would have set foot in Issy-les-Moulineaux for the first time in his life. Signing in a Thierry Cotillard store, the former basketball player would have attracted a horde of delirious young people . The president of the Les Mousquetaires group then allegedly organized a meeting with the mayor of the city, André Santini, during which the three men would have agreed to work together. “Thierry was the matchmaker and Tony fell in love with the city. He falls in love quickly,” laughed the ex-minister. So much for the storytelling delivered by the actors of the project.

In fact, Tony Parker has multiplied entrepreneurial projects since his retirement from sports. In addition to own two basketball clubs in Lyon(ASVEL Lyon-Villeurbanne since 2014 and the Lyon-ASVEL women’s club since 2017), last January he joined the casting of investors in season 4 of the show “Who wants to be my partner” produced by Arthur and broadcast on M6.

In recent years, the four-time NBA champion has also invested in education. After launching a Tony Parker Academy in Lyon in 2019, TP announced that it would export its concept to the Paris region, in Saint-Ouen (Seine-Saint-Denis). “I started in Lyon because my clubs are there, but I want to establish myself and share my experience with Île-de-France,” he reaffirmed this Thursday, October 10.

Before concluding: “It’s hard to be an entrepreneur in Francebut I want to try to create platforms for young people to be able to cope. I know that 95% of learners will not become top athletes, but I want to inspire other passions in them. Business leaders greatly appreciate the values ​​of sport, such as ability to handle large workloads. This is what I want to share and this was the best place to do it. »

The Tony Parker CampUS aims to train 1,500 to 4,000 employees and350 to 500 students by 2027.

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