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| Legends and rising stars come together for "Table Talk: Life of a Prospect" |
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Giving young talent the opportunity to flourish is the subject of the latest release in Euroleague Basketball's Table Talk series.
Four-time NBA champion Tony Parker, who is now the president of Turkish Airlines EuroLeague club LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne, is one of the main protagonists in the documentary, explaining why he has made so much effort to focus on developing homegrown talent since returning to France. Parker meets with Mirjam Poterbin, the mother of Luka Doncic, to discuss the career path taken by the former Real Madrid and current Dallas Mavericks star.
Also in the debate is one of the greatest European basketball players of the 21st century, three-time EuroLeague champion and Final Four MVP Vassilis Spanoulis. After inspiring a wave of players, Spanoulis is now the Adidas Next Generation Tournament head coach and working closely with the stars of tomorrow. Three of Europe's fastest-rising young talents, ASVEL's Matthew Strazel, Juste Jocyte from the French club's female team, and Filip Petrusev of Anadolu Efes Istanbul, also give their insights about the challenges and opportunities they face.
The blend of voices of those who achieved their dreams, like Parker and Spanoulis, alongside young talents trying to do the same gives viewers a well-rounded understanding of the pressure and obstacles young players face, the assistance they receive, and the aptitude they need to do to succeed.
Parker spoke about the importance that family must play in a prospect's rise. "My mom always helped me to find the happy middle," he said.
"We didn't care about money; we didn't even think about how to make money...," Spanoulis said, reflecting on his teenage years. "All we [thought about] is how to become a better player. I recommend teenager players to be humble and most important to love basketball and to love to work.”
Poterbin, who moved to the Spanish capital to help her son as a budding star at Real Madrid, shared from her experiences. "I tried to protect him as much as I could," she said. "I think it's also very important that [young athletes] speak up. I think sometimes kids are very shy to speak up [about] how they feel."
The film is the latest in the Table Talk documentary series produced by Euroleague Basketball. Other features include "Table Talk: Women in Sports", "Table Talk: Athletes' Retirement", "Table Talk: Playing Overseas", and "Table Talk: Racism #NotInOurWorld".
These films add to Euroleague Basketball's commitment to premium, long-form content by taking the discussion beyond the court to encompass all aspects of the sport and its protagonists.
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