You can say would you like about France’s Tony Parker. At the end of the day – he is one of basketball’s true warriors.
Despite his status in France, and indeed in America, every summer he worries the hell out of San Antonio Spurs coach Gregg Popovich. And Parker, who is currently 31-years-old will seemingly continue to do so until the 2016 Olympics in Rio, his words.
An interesting feature on NBA.com, written by Jeff Caplan suggests that Parker should lean towards a possible summer of rest in the future. Caplan no doubt makes some interesting points, most of which European basketball fans know.
Now say what you will about American basketball writers, having worked with them and got to know a fair share of them, personally, let me say that they do know their basketball and they’re clued up on European hoops as well. It’s no secret though that Parker exemplifies the Nike slogan of “Basketball Never Stops”, injury or not, once he’s done wearing the black and silver of the Spurs, he’s suiting up in the blue and white of France a couple of months later.
Parker will appear in his seventh Eurobasket this summer; he has represented his country since 2002 at senior level and has been on the junior circuit since 1997. In that time, the point guard has only missed the 2006 and 2010 world championships held in Japan and Turkey respectively.
In his feature, Caplan mentions all of the above but pays particular attention to Parker’s most recent injuries, notably the hamstring problem caused in the final four games of this year’s NBA Finals against the Miami Heat.
Parker though carried on like the trooper that he is.
Caplan writes on NBA.com’s “Hang Time Blog”: It leads to one question with no defined answer: With meaningful international tournaments staged around the globe each summer, when, if ever, does loyalty to one’s NBA team supersede loyalty to country? The Spurs have paid Parker $95 million over 12 seasons and will pay him $12.5 million more this season.
Parker is the irreplaceable driving force behind the Spurs as Tim Duncan, 37, and Manu Ginobili, 36, hit their twilight years. Ginobili, a fixture on the Argentinian national team, is not playing in the FIBA Americas Championship after dealing with frustrating injuries last season.
He added later on in the article: Even if Parker breezes through the Euro championships without another nick, the additional wear-and-tear on his body after another long season has to be concerning to the Spurs and their fans (who have seen this play out with Ginobili). A number of NBA players, some of whom dealt with health issues last season, decided to sit this summer out, with the Lakers’ Pau Gasol (Spain) and the Spurs’ Tiago Splitter (Brazil) among them.
Excellent points raised by Caplan on an NBA standpoint, with emphasis on what the Spurs are risking, allowing Parker to play for France year after year and highlighting the other international stars that are not playing at FIBA-organised events this summer. Other absentees are Al Horford (Dominican Republic) and Luol Deng (Great Britain). You might remember Deng played at the London Olympics last year to realise a lifelong dream, representing your nation at a home Olympics, something that he will never experience again. This though despite numerous calls from the Chicago Bulls NOT to play, as they wanted him to have surgery on a wrist injury he suffered earlier in that year.
This fan comment though, posted on Caplan’s feature by “Potzo” was right on the money.
“When it comes to USA basketball camp all the US journalists are excited because it’s nice to play for your own country. But when NBA players want to play for their own country it’s always a problem if they are from Europe or Argentina or another country.
I think TP loves his country as much as Kevin Durant does. He doesn’t live or play in France but he is french and proud to represent his country.
And i guess Popovich said yes if he hadn’t Parker would have stayed home.
I’m pretty sure all the players are insured.”
Granted that Parker plays for France more than Durant plays for the USA, but I would be interested to hear Mark Cuban’s reaction if a Dallas Mavericks player, whomever it may be in the future suited up for the USA? You know … given his general distain for FIBA and FIBA-events of all kinds, especially the Olympics.
Potzo’s comment sums it all up. The Spurs will spend another summer glued to the monitors to see if their marquee player has survived another day in Ljubljana. No doubt the Spurs want Eurobasket to go as quickly and smoothly as possible.
For Parker he wants to play for France, as it is an honour to play for your country. There is very little of that shown now. Most tend to not bother with international basketball and choose to follow personal training programs, where the likelihood of injury is just as high as playing competitively for your country.
So, for this summer, Tony Parker will once again swap personal training programs in hot destinations in exchange for a basketball court somewhere in Europe. Well, he’s been doing it since 2002, why kick the habit?
Quotes courtesy of NBA.com’s Hang Time Blog, written by Jeff Caplan.
