Within a week, Tony Parker will enter the Hall Of Fame, and he will be accompanied by some of the best players of his generation such as Dwyane Wade, Dirk Nowitzki and… Paul Gasol. Between them, they weigh dozens of All-Star selections, a dozen NBA titles, but also many international medals… Asked by the Spanish press about his rivalry with Pau Gasol, TP returned to the emulation born of their clashes with France and Spain.
“We had a great rivalry with Spain. I always thanked Pau for being there and pushing me and the France team to be better. If he hadn’t been born, we would have won more gold medals.” replied Parker.
To read >>> The large-format interview with Tony Parker
The current president of Asvel confided his pride in entering the Hall Of Fame in the company of a rival in the selection, but also a former teammate at Spurs. Spain was the team to beat “because she had” an incredible generation with Pau, Navarro, Llull and Ricky Rubio Parker continues. ” It was one of the best teams in the history of Europe, and I was always fascinated by the mentality of the Spanish team, which inspired me”.
This week, during a videoconference with the French press, including DNA of Sports, Tony Parker had mentioned this pride of entering with two of the best players in history. ” It’s so cool to experience that with Dirk and Pau, who I have a relationship with, because I remember the Americans saying at the time that it was impossible to see a European as a franchise player and, we , we are a bit the first [à l’avoir fait] », Details the Frenchman. ” Now when I see NBA teams don’t mind having [Nikola] Jokic, [Giannis] Antetokounmpo or [Luka] Doncic as a franchise player, it shows that we have come a long way. So I’m very, very proud to enter the Hall of Fame with them, it’s an honor, and it’s cool to have three Europeans in the same vintage. »
