Tony Parker

High School and Early Career

Parker attended INSEP, a high school in Paris, France. In 1999, he started playing for Paris Basket Racing and was there from 1999 to 2000.

He began his playing career at Paris Basket Racing in 1999, representing the French team in the European leagues.

Parker represented France at the 2000 FIBA European Under-18 Championships where he won the MVP award. It was all but natural that at the end of 2001, he would move to the NBA with a lot of hype surrounding this young European superstar.

Professional Career

He was drafted into the NBA in 2001 and was selected in the first round by the San Antonio Spurs. He ended up playing for the Spurs from 2001 to 2018.

Parker quickly took up their starting point guard position and was named to the 2001-02 All-NBA Rookie team as their starting point guard during the All-Star weekend.

The following year, he led the Spurs to the 2003 NBA Championship, a feat repeated in 2005 and 2007.

With a high field goal percentage and some immaculate passing, Parker became indispensable to the Spurs, getting selected for the 2006, 2007, and 2009 NBA All-Star games. In the 2007 edition, Parker was named the MVP for the NBA Finals.

Parker won the 2007 Euroscar European Player of the Year award as well while being named to the 2008-09 All-NBA third team.

At the international level, Parker represented the senior national French team at the 2005 FIBA European Championships where he bagged a Bronze medal for his team. However, the highlight of his career would be his induction into the Legion of Honour, the highest French commendation, in 2007.

In 2007, Parker’s consistent performance helped the Spurs beat the Cleveland Cavaliers in the 2007 NBA Finals. He scored a series-high 24.5 points and became the 2007 NBA Finals MVP – the first European-born player to get the award.

In the 2007-2008 Season, Parker was able to achieve a double-double with 31 points and 11 assists but they failed to get the championship again as they lost to the Los Angeles Lakers.

The Spurs weren’t faring better in the next season, but Parker was able to garner a career-high 55 points and sparked a recovery in the team. While the Spurs failed to make the playoffs, Parker was able to go past his previous playoff average.

Parker helped the San Antonio Spurs achieve the best record in the western conference in 2012. However, they lost to the Oklahoma City Thunder in the Western Conference Finals. In December 2012, he achieved the first triple-double in his career with 27 points, 12 rebounds, and 12 assists in a game against the Houston Rockets.

The Spurs were able to get into the 2013 NBA Finals, playing against Miami Heat, the defending champion but failed to win the series. In 2014, Parker had his fourth championship with a wing against the Miami Heat in the 2014 NBA Finals.

In the 2014-2015 Season, Parker suffered from an injury and struggled during the playoffs. The next season saw Parker in top form again and he helped Spurs secure a franchise-best 67 games. However, they lost to the Oklahoma City Thunder in the 2016 playoffs. He left the team in 2018.

Before he officially retired, he signed with the Charlotte Hornets to play for them for a season in 2018-2019.

Career Highlights

• 2003, 2005, 2007, 2014 - NBAchampion
• 2007 - NBA Finals MVP
• 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012–2014 - NBAAll-Star
• 2012–2014 - All-NBA Second Team
• 2009 - All-NBA Third Team
• 2002 - NBA All-Rookie First Team
• No. 9 retired by San Antonio Spurs
• 2013 - FIBA EuroBasket MVP
• 2011, 2013 - FIBA EuroBasket TopScorer
• 2013, 2014 - FIBA Europe Player ofthe Year
• 2007, 2013 - Euroscar Award
• 2003, 2013 - L’Équipe Champion ofChampions
• 2001 - LNB All-Star
• 2001 - LNB Pro A Most ImprovedPlayer
• 2001 - Pro A Best Young Player