Retired since June 2019, Tony Parker has established himself over the seasons as the best French basketball player in history. Quadruple NBA champion, MVP of the Finals in 2007, six-time All-Star and four-time member of an “All-NBA team”, the iconic leader of the Spurs has a long list of achievements.
And beyond his list of individual distinctions, he especially has an immense role in the media coverage in France of the NBA and basketball in general.
When we look back with nostalgia on the career of “TP”, it is impossible not to mention this evening of November 5, 2008, where he will perform a legendary performance.
Drum beating start
At that time, San Antonio had to deal with the injury of Manu Ginobili (then the reigning Sixth Man of the Year) and got off to a bad start in 2008/09, with three defeats in as many games. To unlock their win counter, Gregg Popovich’s men travel to Minnesota to face the Wolves, who also had a record of three defeats in as many games.
Very quickly, Tony Parker will set the tone in this part, with a quarter-time announcing the cardboard that he was going to succeed. After twelve minutes, he already has 11 units and he is the only Texan holder to have scored points. In the second quarter, he did not weaken and added 13 additional units, to return to the locker room with 24 of his team’s 45 points!
The number 9 of the Spurs plays fair (9/15 on shots) and makes misery to his defenders, unable to contain him as soon as he picks up speed. However, it is the Wolves who are in the lead.
After the break, the lonely “TP” turns more into a passer (8 points, 5 assists) in order to involve his teammates. The opposing defense now squeezes him closely and “traps” him more often, but he still manages to punish her as soon as she leaves him the slightest space.
In its wake, San Antonio takes control of this match, which will be played in the last twelve minutes.
Consistent in excellence, decisive under pressure
In the fourth quarter, finally supported as it should be by Tim Duncan (14 points), Tony Parker (10 points, 3 assists) continues in his register and will further raise his level of play to resist the Minneapolis collective. 33 seconds from the end, he notably scored a precious mid-range shot, just to put his people back in front. However, he will not be able to prevent an extension, snatched 3 seconds from the end by his lifelong friend, the “Big Fundamental”.
Dominated in this first extension, the Spurs will rely on their then 26-year-old leader to avoid a bitter setback at Target Center. 2.5 seconds from the end, the French must take responsibility. His team is trailing 116-114 and he receives the ball on the right side of the key. He then creates an open shooting position which he loves by putting his defender in the wind. At 45 degrees mid-distance, he tries a silky rainbow shoot… which hits the buzzer! Second extension.
And during this one, San Antonio will finally overcome the Wolves thanks, once again, to “TP”. Because he will complete the premises with his famous “floaters”, which he masters to perfection. He thus ends this second overtime with 9 points, giving the Texas franchise its first victory of the season, not without difficulty.
“ I wanted to win so badly that I did everything I could “explained afterwards the hero of the game. ” You know, it’s that kind of match where you succeed at everything you try. By returning my shoots from afar, people understood that I could do what I wanted. »
The points record of a European in the NBA
Penetrations, mid-range shots, “floaters”, 3-point shots, free throws… Tony Parker’s entire offensive panoply was there that evening. On arrival, in 51 minutes, he posted a remarkable line of stats: 55 points, 7 rebounds and 10 assists, 22/36 in shots, 2/3 in 3-points and 9/10 in throws!
A memorable evening for the Texan player, who took the opportunity to set the record for units scored by a Frenchman in the NBA. And continentally, Dirk Nowitzki (53) and Giannis Antetokounmpo (52) are the only two Europeans to exceed 50 points in a regular season game.
To go further, they are so far only five to have compiled at least 55 points and 10 assists in a meeting. In addition to “TP”, therefore, only Oscar Robertson (1965), Michael Jordan (1992), Russell Westbrook (2017) and James Harden (2017, 2018, 2019) have achieved such a feat in the history of the league.
Opposite, the poor Sebastian Telfair, Randy Foye and Corey Brewer were helpless and could only let this storm come straight from France pass. But this performance somehow predicted what would await the point guard’s defenders, throughout a year he would complete with averages of 22.0 points (51% on shots), 3.1 rebounds and 6.9 assists on average.
If the best individual campaign of Tony Parker’s career were to be named, that of 2008/09 would undoubtedly be at the top of the list, alongside his 2005/06, 2011/12 and 2012/13 seasons.
