Tony Parker

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Basketball player
Tony Parker
TonyParker82.jpg
Player information
Full name William Anthony Parker Jr.
birthday 17th May 1982 (age 38)
place of birth Bruges , Belgium
size 188 cm
Weight 83 kg
position Point guard
NBA draft 2001 , 28th pick , San Antonio Spurs
Jersey number 9
Clubs as active
1997–2001 Paris Basket Racing 2001–2018 San Antonio Spurs 2011 → ASVEL Lyon-Villeurbanne 2018–2019 Charlotte HornetsFranceFrance
United StatesUnited States
00000FranceFrance
United StatesUnited States
National team 1
2000-2016 FranceFrance France 181 games
1 As of August 18, 2016
Parker spent 17 of his 18 professional years with the Spurs

William Anthony "Tony" Parker Jr. (born May 17, 1982 in Bruges , Belgium ) is a former French basketball player . The 1.88 meter tall Parker played for the San Antonio Spurs from 2001 to 2018 , with whom he won the championship four times. As the first European ever, he was named Most Valuable Player in an NBA Final Series in 2007 . At the end of his career, he ran for a season for the Charlotte Hornets . Parker was also the star of the French national basketball team until his retirement in 2016 , with which he became European champion in 2013 and had reached the European Championship final two years earlier . On the occasion of his resignation in June 2019, he was named the best player in the history of French basketball.

Club career

San Antonio Spurs (2001 to 2018)

In the 2001 NBA Draft , the San Antonio Spurs chose Parker in 28th place and at just 19 years of age he was the youngest player in the club's history. In San Antonio, Parker met Tim Duncan , who was already a superstar in the league. The Spurs were among the favorites for the NBA title with Duncan. He started his NBA career as a substitute for Antonio Daniels , but was promoted to the starting line-up after five games. On his debut against the Los Angeles Clippers on November 30, 2001, he became the third French basketball player to ever play in an NBA game. In his first year he was able to record 9.2 points, 4.3 assists and 2.6 rebounds per game. He led the Spurs in assists and steals and was selected as the first non-American development player in the NBA All-Rookie First Team in 2002. In his second year, Parker started in all 82 games of the regular season and was able to improve noticeably (15.5 points, 5.3 assists and 2.6 rebounds per game). He was invited as a sophomore to take part in the Rookie Challenge . The Spurs not only reached the playoffs this season, but also won the 2003 NBA championship. He was then named France's Sportsman of the Year (" Champion des champions ") 2003 by the sports newspaper L'Équipe .

Although the Spurs won the championship, there were doubts about Parker's future with the Texans. The Spurs toyed with the idea of getting Jason Kidd from the New Jersey Nets , but decided against it. The Spurs made it into the playoffs again in the coming season, but they had to admit defeat to the Los Angeles Lakers in the second round . It wasn't until one season later, 2004–2005, that a significant increase in performance was noticed again at Parker. 16.6 points, 6.1 assists and 3.7 rebounds per game made him one of the best point guards in the league. His role in the playoffs grew, and he played a major role in victories over the Denver Nuggets , Seattle SuperSonics and the Phoenix Suns en route to the playoff series. There the Spurs faced the defending Detroit Pistons , who at the time had one of the best defenses in the NBA. Parker was clearly struggling to beat last year's Finals MVP , Chauncey Billups , and his move to the basket was hampered by four-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year , Ben Wallace . Thanks to the constant performance of his teammates Tim Duncan and Manu Ginobili , the Spurs managed to win the 2005 final series after seven games.

In the 2005/06 NBA season , Parker was voted NBA All-Star for the first time thanks to his 18.9 points per game and a 54.8% hit rate from the field . The Spurs were able to retract 63 wins and qualified for the playoffs, in which they failed in the second round to the Dallas Mavericks . The following season, Parker was again voted All-Star. In the second round of the playoffs, the Spurs met the Phoenix Suns around the main round MVP, Steve Nash . Parker was superior to his opponents and played a crucial role in the advancement of his team. After leaving the Utah Jazz in five games, Parker fought with the Spurs after four games against the Cleveland Cavaliers, the fourth NBA championship title in club history. Because of his outstanding performance, Parker was named the best player of the final series, making him the first European player to receive this honor.

In the 2007/08 NBA season , Parker was able to keep his cut from the previous two years. The Spurs, who cut off as third-placed team in the west, fought their way through the first two rounds of the playoffs, but had to admit defeat to the Los Angeles Lakers in the final series of the Western Conference . The following season began with three defeats for the Spurs, but in the fourth game Parker made with his career best of 55 points that the tide should turn. Parker was again elected All-Star and his team made it to the playoffs again. With an average of 22.0 points, he played the best season of his career individually and led the Spurs, ahead of Tim Duncan as the best scorer. In the playoffs, the Spurs had to admit defeat to the Dallas Mavericks after five games in the first round . In the next season, 2009/10 , Parker was injured for almost 30 games. The Spurs made it to the playoffs anyway, but it was premature again for the team from San Antonio.

In the 2010/11 NBA season , the Spurs had the best win rate of any team in the Western Conference after the main round (61 wins and 21 losses), but were eliminated in the first play-off round against the Memphis Grizzlies . After there had been no agreement between the parties to a new NBA collective agreement, which led to the players being locked out of the league (so-called lockout ), Parker signed a contract with the French club ASVEL Lyon-Villeurbanne in early October 2011 , whose co-owner he is. However, in late 2011 he returned to the Spurs.

In his 826th NBA game on December 10, 2012, Parker managed a triple double for the first time (27 points / 12 rebounds / 12 assists). Only three other players who succeeded in this required more than 800 games: Karl Malone (860), Patrick Ewing (834) and Cedric Maxwell (824). At the end of the 2012/13 season he reached the final series with the Spurs, in which they were narrowly inferior to the Miami Heat . Also in the following year there was this final pairing, but this time the Spurs prevailed clearly 4-1, so that Parker won his fourth championship.

In August 2014, Parker extended his contract with Spurs for another three years. In recent years at the Spurs, Parker stepped shorter due to his age and gave more and more games to Patty Mills . With the Spurs, however, he was still successful in sport.

Charlotte Hornets (2018 to 2019)

After his long-time teammates Tim Duncan and Manu Ginóbili resigned one after the other, Parker also left the Spurs after 17 years and signed a contract with the Charlotte Hornets . In June 2019 he announced the end of his playing career. The Frenchman scored a total of 19,473 points in the NBA and was 49th on the all-time NBA basket hunter list at the time of his resignation. The San Antonio Spurs retired his shirt number 9 on November 11, 2019. It can no longer be awarded with this franchise in the future.

National team career

Parker in the national team jersey

Parker played for the French national team from 2000 . At the European Championships in 2011 , he moved into the final with the selection of his home country, Parker was also appointed to the All-Tournament Team , the selection team of the five best players in the tournament. Parker was in great shape at the 2013 European Championships and led the French to the European Championship. He himself scored the most points of any player in the tournament and was elected MVP . At the European Basketball Championships in 2015 , Parker scored his 1032nd point in the preliminary round match against Poland, overtaking the previous record holder Nikos Galis and henceforth the record scorer in the European Championship competition. With the French he also won the bronze medal. After the quarter-finals at the 2016 Olympic Games , he announced the end of his national team career.

Play style

Tony Parker's game thrived on its speed. His litter, which was initially very inconsistent, improved especially in the 2005-2006 season through intensive training. Nevertheless, his game was still very much shaped by his move to the basket. Tony Parker played in the position of point guard, which requires a game overview and serenity from every player and Tony Parker had both at a young age, which was rewarded not least by several nominations as NBA All-Star. Parker also had an excellent eye for fellow players. In 2012/13 he put on 7.6 assists and 20.3 points.

Awards and Achievements

San Antonio Spurs

French national team

Further

Private

His father Tony Parker Sr. was a professional African American basketball player who played in Europe for 15 years. His mother Pamela Firestone comes from the Netherlands . Parker was born in Bruges, Belgium, but grew up in France . He has two younger brothers, Terence J. and Pierre, who also play basketball. Parker's godfather was former French international Jean-Pierre Staelens, who died in 1999 .

Tony Parker was married to actress Eva Longoria from July 7, 2007 to January 28, 2011 . The wedding took place in Paris . They met in November 2004 and kept their relationship a secret for nine months.

In the summer of 2013, Parker announced his engagement to girlfriend Francine. The two had been a couple for two years at this point.

Entrepreneurial activity

In 2009 Parker took over 20 percent of the shares of the French first division club ASVEL Villeurbanne in two stages and became vice president of the club. At the same time he announced his plan to make the club "one of the largest in Europe". In 2014, Parker became the majority shareholder and president of ASVEL. Since he can only stay in France when he is not playing due to his obligations as a player of the San Antonio Spurs, he appointed his childhood friend, the businessman and former basketball professional Gaëtan Muller, as "delegated president". In September 2015, Parker announced the establishment of a basketball academy named after him in Lyon . In July 2016 the plans for the construction of a new, exclusively privately financed ASVEL home arena with 10,500 spectator seats near the previous “Astroballe” hall in Villeurbanne were published. The new hall initially planned in Villeurbanne was not implemented, instead Parker teamed up with Olympique Lyon to build a new hall in Décines-Charpieu .

In March 2017, Parker's acquisition of the majority stake in the French women's first division club Lyon Basket as well as the presidency of the club was announced after the end of the 2016/17 financial year. Parker is also the representative of the OL Groupe (corporation of the football club Olympique Lyon) in the United States, which acquired 89.5% of the capital of Reign FC with a value of 3.1 million US dollars at the end of 2019 . In this context, Parker also secured around 3% of the shares in the women's professional league from the Seattle region . In February 2020, it was announced that Parker would receive a seat on the board of directors of OL Groupe and, in addition to developing the company in the United States, would also take care of relations with China . His admission to the Board of Directors became official in July 2020.

Political

Tony Parker used the Quenelle greeting , which is used as a gesture in connection with right-wing extremist ideas, during a jubilee in a San Antonio Spurs NBA game in 2010 . After the relevant photo became known in 2013, he immediately apologized: "Since I have become aware of the seriousness of this gesture, I will not show it again and I deeply apologize for any misunderstanding or damage that I have caused with my actions" said Parker in a statement. Previously, Rabbi Abraham Cooper of the Simon Wiesenthal Center had condemned Parker for the "hideous and dangerous" gesture and asked for an apology.

Literature and films

Web links

Commons : Tony Parker  - Collection of Images, Videos and Audio Files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Profile on the official website of the French Basketball Federation (French)
  2. ↑ Théo Quintard: Tony Parker met un terme à sa carrière professionnelle. June 10, 2019, accessed June 10, 2019 (French).
  3. ↑ a b c nba.com: Career statistics ( Memento from February 17, 2007 in the Internet Archive )
  4. ↑ a b c nba.com: Player biography ( Memento from February 21, 2007 in the Internet Archive )
  5. ↑ a b c nba.com: NBA Finals History
  6. ↑ Trade rumors 2003
  7. ↑ NBA Finals 2007 MVP: Tony Parker
  8. ↑ ASVEL BASKET lands Tony Parker ( memento of October 9, 2011 in the Internet Archive ) on the ULEB Eurocup website, notification of October 5, 2011, accessed on October 5, 2011 (English)
  9. ↑ Hornet's Sign Free-Agent Guard Tony Parker
  10. ↑ Four-time NBA Champion Parker Retires | Basketball. Retrieved June 10, 2019 .
  11. ↑ Another Masterpiece for MVP 'La Bomba' on the website of the Basketball European Championship 2011, message from September 18, 2011, accessed on October 5, 2011 (English)
  12. ^ Parker Headlines All Tournament Team. FIBA Europe , September 22, 2013, archived from the original on September 25, 2013 ; accessed on September 23, 2013 (English).
  13. ↑ Tony Parker record shooter in European Championship history ( Memento from September 25, 2015 in the Internet Archive )
  14. ↑ After a clear defeat in the quarterfinals: Parker resigns from the national team. Kicker-Sportmagazin , August 18, 2016, accessed on August 18, 2016 .
  15. ↑ JockBio: Tony Parker Biography. Retrieved April 20, 2020 .
  16. ^ Sloan MacRae: Meet Tony Parker: Basketball's Famous Point Guard . The Rosen Publishing Group, Inc, 2009, ISBN 978-1-4358-5762-9 ( google.de [accessed April 20, 2020]).
  17. ↑ Le rêve éveillé de Tony Parker. Retrieved July 26, 2020 (French).
  18. ↑ Eva Longoria officially single again (January 30, 2011)
  19. ↑ Thomas Delencre: Tony Parker racheté le club de Villeurbanne . In: Le Monde.fr . March 21, 2014, ISSN  1950-6244 ( lemonde.fr [accessed January 21, 2017]).
  20. ↑ Gaëtan Muller: "Tout est possible quand on est passionné" . ( leprogres.fr [accessed January 21, 2017]).
  21. ↑ Steven BELFILS et Razik Brikh: Tony Parker crée son académie à Gerland et le projet d'relance Arena. Retrieved January 21, 2017 (French).
  22. ↑ Tony Parker dévoile la future Arena multifonctions de l'ASVEL Basket - SportBuzzBusiness.fr . In: SportBuzzBusiness.fr . July 12, 2016 ( sportbuzzbusiness.fr [accessed January 21, 2017]).
  23. ↑ RMC SPORT: ASVEL: le maire de Villeurbanne annonce l'abandon du projet de nouvelle salle. Retrieved February 12, 2020 (French).
  24. ↑ Paul Terra: Villeurbanne: la subvention à l'Asvel débattue par les candidats pour 2020. December 7, 2019, accessed on February 12, 2020 .
  25. ↑ http://www.facebook.com/LyonBasketFeminin/posts/1246906915363172:0 (link not available)
  26. ↑ Article “ OL acquires the Reign FC ” from December 20, 2019 at footofeminin.fr
  27. ^ Football. Tony Parker bientôt au conseil d'administration d'OL Groupe. In: Le Progrès. Retrieved February 12, 2020 .
  28. ^ Communique OL: nominations d'administrateurs Tony Parker and Anne-Laure Julienne Camus. Accessed August 16, 2020 (French).
  29. ↑ NBA star Parker apologizes for "Quenelle" greeting . rp-online.de, December 30, 2013.
personal data
SURNAME Parker, Tony
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Parker, William Anthony Jr.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION French basketball player
DATE OF BIRTH May 17, 1982
PLACE OF BIRTH Bruges , Belgium