A few days ago, I listened to an episode of "Secrets d’info" on France Inter Radio titled “Du basket aux affaires, la reconversion contrastée de Tony Parker.” The show analyzed Parker’s entrepreneurial ventures, highlighting the challenges and criticisms he has faced since transitioning from basketball to business. As I followed the discussion, I noticed something: while the show focused on his struggles, it missed a crucial point.The real issue is not that Tony Parker is a bad entrepreneur, as some critics implied, but rather that he is navigating a phase that many talented individuals experience when entering the business world. This phase is what I call the Pseudo-True Entrepreneur stage—a stage where ambition, creativity, and drive exist, but the critical skill of surrounding oneself with the right people is lacking. Instead of simply joining the critics, I want to use this article to explore how this framework helps explain his business journey constructively. (For those interested, you can listen to the original podcast episode here.) What Is a Pseudo-True Entrepreneur? A Pseudo-True Entrepreneur is not a bad entrepreneur—far from it. This type of entrepreneur possesses initiative, boldness, and vision but struggles to build a truly self-sustaining business due to one missing piece: the right people. The key traits of a Pseudo-True Entrepreneur include:✅ Creative and resourceful – they generate ideas and pursue opportunities.✅ Driven and proactive – they take action rather than waiting for things to happen.❌ Struggles with delegation – they either trust the wrong people or try to do too much alone.❌ Lacks a strong, reliable team – they haven’t mastered the art of selecting, developing, and retaining the right talent. This is not a permanent state, but rather a learning phase—one that many high achievers, including Tony Parker, go through. Why Tony Parker Fits This Framework 1. Creativity and Initiative? Yes. But Strategic Team-Building? Missing. Parker’s creativity in business is evident. He’s taken bold initiatives, investing in sports, media, and other ventures. He has the mindset of an entrepreneur—he doesn’t wait for opportunities; he creates them. But initiative alone doesn’t build a successful business. The most successful entrepreneurs understand that choosing the right people is as crucial as choosing the right business moves. 2. From the Basketball Court to the Boardroom: A Different Game Parker mastered teamwork on the basketball court. He worked under great coaches, surrounded himself with elite teammates, and trusted a system. However, business is not sports. In basketball: The team is built for you. Scouts, coaches, and managers assemble the right mix of talent. Your role is clear. You focus on performance while others handle recruitment and strategy. In business, the entrepreneur is the coach, the recruiter, and the strategist. If Parker had applied the same strategic team-building principles from basketball to business, his journey might have been smoother. 3. The Missing Piece: Surrounding Himself with the Right People The podcast criticized his business decisions, but it overlooked the real issue—his difficulty in assembling the right team. Many ex-athletes, celebrities, and professionals fall…