Tony Parker has found a new hobby with video game competitions.

After having invested in professional e-sports teams and founded its own Academy, the former glory of French basketball has joined forces with Ubisoft to bring the first World Cup to the game "Rainbow Six Siege".

He confides in his commitment to Europe 1.

INTERVIEW

It is THE discipline that is on the rise: video game or e-sport competitions bring together thousands of mad spectators in stadiums to attend matches between high-level players.

In France, it is estimated that around 1.2 million 'gamers' indulge in it in France as amateurs.

But the sector has been seriously professionalizing in recent years around sponsored teams.

And many athletes are committed to their side for more recognition.

Among them, a certain Tony Parker.

The former basketball champion will be the ambassador for the Rainbow Six World Cup, Ubisoft's strategic shooter.

He spoke to Europe 1 about his love of video games and this new challenge.

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Amateur, collector, investor

Tony Parker and video games, it's a story that has lasted since childhood.

“I grew up with two brothers. We didn't really like single player games because we didn't want to wait. So we mostly played sports games: basketball, American football, baseball, hockey, football… We spent a lot of time there, ”he recalls.

Past pro basketball player, with the great career that we know him, and today a businessman, he has a little less time to play on the console.

"I'm old fashioned, I collect old arcade games, I have about 40 of them," he says.

And in recent years, it is e-sport that interests him.

Tony Parker invested in professional teams before founding his own academy in Lyon, which will welcome his second class this fall (70 students including 15 in e-sport).

The former basketball player is now taking it one step further in this world: he will be the ambassador for the very first World Cup of

Rainbow Six Siege

, Ubisoft's strategic shooter.

"They approached me and I took it as an honor. It is part of the continuity of my commitment to e-sport so I thought it would be a great experience," says Tony Parker.

Tony Parker,

Rainbow Six

player coach

The World Cup will be held in the summer of 2021 with 20 qualified teams, each representing their country.

"When we thought of this World Cup, we said to ourselves that we had to bring an experience around the feeling that we can have when we represent our country. It's a rare feeling in video games", explains François-Xavier Deniele, head of e-sport at Ubisoft.

"And who better, in France, than Tony Parker to embody that? Throughout his career, he has demonstrated his values ​​and shown the importance that it had to play for his national team", he rejoices.

And "TP" will play an important role in this competition.

"I will have the opportunity to meet all the players, all the teams. I will be able to share my experience with them: how to manage the pressure during an event like this, how to manage egos, how to live as a team ... Everything I have experienced over the past twenty years as a leader of the French team or in San Antonio, ”explains Tony Parker.

"He will be present at all stages: reflection, organization, and finally competition. It is he who will present the trophy to the winners", adds François-Xavier Deniele.

E-sport, not so different from basketball

A mission that Tony Parker takes very seriously.

He is convinced of it: video game tournaments are real sport.

"All the people who think it's not sport, I have only one thing to say to them: go see a competition or even a training camp!", Urges the former captain of the Blues.

"I see the players all the time in my Academy, it's like a basketball team: they have their doctor, their coach, their physiotherapist… And it's even more true now. With professionalization, e-sport is become very tactical. "

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And Tony Parker does not intend to stop there.

It is now pushing the dream of all video game players: one day to see video game competitions become an Olympic discipline.

"This is the future for e-sport. It would be great for players to go to the Games and be considered as athletes," he slips with a smile.

And why not from the Paris 2024 Olympics.