Tony Parker vents at half-time as Villeurbanne beat Maccabi 84-74
Debut head coach Tony Parker demanded defence in a half-time speech, and Villeurbanne beat Maccabi 84-74 for his first EuroLeague win as a head coach.
Tony Parker told his Villeurbanne players at half-time of their EuroLeague game against Maccabi that he wanted to win "this f***ing game", and the side went on to beat the Israeli club 84-74.
Footage from the dressing room has since appeared online. It shows Parker, the former San Antonio point guard and four-time NBA champion, making his debut as a head coach, raising his voice in the manner of his old coach Gregg Popovich.
"There is one thing we have no right to stop doing: playing f***ing defence," Parker said. "Stay in front of your men and do not let them beat you! Respect what the coach says. Do not do whatever you feel like. And if not? You will sit next to me on the bench, because I want to win this f***ing game! On offence we do what we know how to do. But we will win this game through defence. I want five guys on the floor every second who will work with furious energy and listen to our instructions. Trust us."
It was Parker's first win as a head coach in the EuroLeague.
This may mean that defence becomes the measure of Villeurbanne under Parker, since it was the one thing he named as non-negotiable.
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