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William Anthony (Tony) Parker, II (born May 17 1982, in Bruges, Belgium[1]) is a French National Basketball Association (NBA) player with the San Antonio Spurs and captain of France's national basketball team. Parker was born into a family which had, and continue to have, strong links with professional basketball. After playing for two years in the French basketball league, Parker entered the 2001 NBA Draft and was selected by the San Antonio Spurs. He quickly became their starting point guard, and hitherto has been selected as a NBA All-Star twice and helped the Spurs win two NBA Championships. Parker's achievements also spearhead the emergence of French basketball players plying their trade in the NBA. He is currently engaged to Desperate Housewives actress Eva Longoria.
Early lifeParker was born in Belgium but raised in France.[2] His father, Tony Parker Sr., an African-American, played basketball at Loyola University Chicago and professionally overseas, while his mother, Pamela Firestone, was a Dutch model.[2] Parker enjoyed close relationships with his brothers and together they would often attend his father's basketball games.[3] Although Parker was initially more interested in soccer, watching in person the evolution of Michael Jordan into a global basketball superstar changed his mind.[4]
Basketball careerSan Antonio SpursFirst championship ringParker was drafted 28th overall in the 2001 NBA Draft by the San Antonio Spurs.[1] When Parker played against the Los Angeles Clippers on November 30, 2001, he became the third French player ever to play in an NBA game, after Tariq Abdul-Wahad and Jerome Moiso.[6] Parker made a total of 77 appearances in his rookie season, averaging 9.2 points, 4.3 assists and 2.6 rebounds in 29.4 minutes per game.[2] In recognition of his leading the Spurs in assists and steals, Parker was named to the All-Rookie First Team for 2001-02, becoming the first foreign-born guard to earn the honor.[2] Parker played in all 82 games for the Spurs in his sophomore season as their starting point guard[7] in a largely remade team from previous years. He improved his regular season averages significantly, averaging 15.5 points per game (ppg), 5.3 assists per game (apg) and 2.6 rebounds per game (rpg).[7] Parker's role as the team's playmaker was reflected in his leading the team in assists on 49 occasions.[2] During the 2003 NBA All-Star Weekend, Parker represented the Sophomores in the Got Milk? Rookie Challenge, and also participated in the inaugural 989 Sports Skills Challenge.[2] In the post season, Parker's scoring—including twice achieving his career best—was pivotal to the Spurs' progress to the 2003 NBA Finals.[2] The Spurs, led by Tim Duncan, defeated the New Jersey Nets 4-2 in the series, and Parker earned his first NBA championship ring.[8] Second championship ringParker maintained his statistical averages in the 2003-04 season with a regular season record of 14.7 ppg, 5.5 apg and 3.2 rpg.[7] However, the Spurs were defeated by the Los Angeles Lakers in the Western Conference semi-finals in the 2004 NBA Playoffs. Nevertheless, with the combination of Tim Duncan's consistent performances, emergence of Argentinean star Manu Ginobili, and Parker as playmaker, the Spurs won their third ever NBA championship the next season when the Spurs defeated defending champions Detroit Pistons 4-3 in the 2005 NBA Finals.[8] In the regular season, Parker again improved on his statistical averages, ending the season with career-highs 16.6 ppg, 6.1 apg and 3.7 rpg.[7] Overall, he ranked 13th in the league in total assists and third among point guards in field goal percentage.[2] 2005-06 and 2006-07
On 14 February, 2007, after delivering consistent numbers in the first half of the 2006-07 season, Parker was again selected to play in the 2007 NBA All-Star Game as a reserve guard.[10] National teamParker played for France's Junior National Team in the European Junior Championships in both 1998 and 2000.[2] He was elected Most Valuable Player of the 2000 tournament when France captured the championship.[11] With the senior team, Parker has played in the 2001, 2003 and 2005 European Championships. France won the bronze medal in the 2005 Championships, defeating the Spanish team 98-68.[12] The captain of the national team since 2003, Parker was slated to lead France in the 2006 World Championships, but was unable to play after breaking a finger when he caught his hand in the jersey of a Brazil player in France's final warmup for the Worlds.[13] Player profileParker plays the point guard position and has established himself as a potent scorer. He is one of the quickest players in the NBA and often slashes to the basket for an easy layup or teardrop shot. Despite his relatively small size for a basketball player (6'2"), he led the league in "points in the paint" for a large portion of the 2005-06 NBA season. His shooting has improved significantly since his rookie year, although outside shooting (especially three-pointers) still remains as the weaker part of his game. Parker's field goal percentage is very high for a point guard, and his speed also makes him a great fastbreak player. However, Parker's style of play has had adverse effects on his knees (tendonitis).[14] HonorsIndividual honors for club
Clubs Honors
Senior National Team honors
Junior National Team honors
NBA career statistics
Off the courtFamily lifeParker's parents continue to remain influential in his life even after their divorce. His mother, a health-food coach, gives him tips on healthy eating, while he discusses his performance after each game with his father over the phone.[3] Parker is currently engaged to actress Eva Longoria, who is 7 years his senior. They announced their engagement on 30 November, 2006.[16] They are to have their wedding in France. Parker quoted during the 2007 NBA All-Star Game that "Eva is doing everything, I'm just going to show up and say yes." Longoria, a Texas native from nearby Corpus Christi, is a courtside regular at Spurs home games. PhilanthropyIn the field of philanthropy, Parker donates a block of 20 tickets for each home game to underprivileged youth.[2] Parker is also the first ambassador for Make-A-Wish France.[17] The Foundation is a non-profit organization that grants wishes to children with life-threatening medical conditions. On his personal website, Parker states: "I already knew Make-A-Wish as it is very famous around the world and I have previously taken part in the granting of wishes by meeting children and their families. I decided to commit to working with Make-A-Wish France when I understood the true dedication there and I realised that I could help to grant as many wishes as possible."[17] Other interestsParker is an avid fan of hip-hop music and rap. He has released a French hip-hop album with producer Polygrafic (Sound Scientists). The first single from the album Top of the Game, featuring rapper Fabolous, was released in March 2007. The accompanying video features Spurs team mates Robert Horry, Tim Duncan and Brent Barry, as well as former team mate Nazr Mohammed.[18] Parker was also involved in the Paris bid for the 2012 Summer Olympics. His reaction to London's successful bid was: "I don't know what else we could have done. If we don't have it now, I guess we will never get it. The IOC seems to be very pro-Anglo-Saxon. I feel extremely gutted."[19] See alsoNotes
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