Tag: Tony Parker

Ranking the best No. 2 guys in NBA history

HoopsHype ranks the best No. 2 second-fiddle players in NBA history, including Dwyane Wade, Scottie Pippen, Kyrie Irving and much more.

There’s no shame in being the second-best player on an NBA team, especially if the player ahead of you on the pecking order is an all-time great and your team is doing a lot of winning in the process.

For some players, accepting the No. 2 role on a team is more difficult than it is for others. One player on this list even took the second-fiddle role on his own team after becoming a superstar and winning a championship with that same team.

Below, we present the best No. 2 guys in NBA history, the best Robins to all-time great Batmans.

Why 2014 San Antonio Spurs were best team in NBA history

Were the 2013-14 San Antonio Spurs the best team in NBA history?

The 1995-96 Chicago Bulls went 72-10. The 2015-16 Golden State Warriors went 73-9. The former won the NBA championship, and the latter didn’t, but both are considered one of the greatest teams in NBA history. And over the years, the San Antonio Spurs have had a few teams that deserve to have their name thrown in the ring for that title.

San Antonio’s best record in franchise history was in the 2015-16 season when they went 67-15. However, they didn’t win the championship. The Spurs’ team in 2014 was just as impressive. Their regular season was a bit worse at 62-20, but they finished the job when the season came to a close.

The Heart of Texas Media Network recently uploaded a YouTube video that detailed why the 2013-14 Spurs were the best team in NBA history.

Not only did the Spurs win the title that year, they managed to take down the Miami Heat, who were riding the high of two straight NBA championships.

Kawhi Leonard took home the Finals MVP award, largely because of the defense he played against LeBron James, but the Spurs’ scoring was well-rounded throughout the playoffs.

Tim Duncan, Tony Parker, Manu Ginobili, and Leonard were able to bring home another championship to San Antonio on the tail end of their dynasty.

It was Duncan’s fifth title in San Antonio and the fourth for both Parker and Ginobili. All three were entering the final stages of their career, yet with the help of Leonard, they were able to take down one of the best teams in the league.

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Spurs schedule Tony Parker Hall of Fame Game for December 17 vs. Pelicans

The San Antonio Spurs have scheduled the Tony Parker Hall of Fame Game for December 17 vs. the New Orleans Pelicans.

The San Antonio Spurs have scheduled the Tony Parker Hall of Fame Game for December 17 of this year. A Spurs tradition that has taken place for David Robinson, Tim Duncan, George Gervin, and Manu Ginobili, the game will honor Parker, who was entered into the Basketball Hall of Fame with the 2023 class alongside head coach Gregg Popovich.

Parker’s jersey will be retired during the game, and the Spurs will be welcoming the New Orleans Pelicans to San Antonio for the evening. While on the Spurs, Parker was 40-15 against the Pelicans throughout the course of his NBA career, so maybe he’ll lend some of his winning ways to the current group.

When Parker was getting inducted into the Hall of Fame, he made sure to crack some jokes.

Robert Horry on disagreement with Spurs teammates Parker, Ginobili

Former San Antonio Spurs forward Robert Horry recently spoke about a disagreement he had with Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili.

The San Antonio Spurs are one of the best organizations in NBA history, having won five championships since 1999 on the back of Tim Duncan and a slew of other Hall-of-Famers. Guys like David Robinson, Tony Parker, and Manu Ginobili all helped Duncan out along the way, aiding the Spurs during their title runs.

However, things weren’t all rainbows and sunshine on the Spurs. Even the title teams dealt with some internal issues, one of which was recently revealed by Robert Horry, who won two championships in five years with the Spurs. He unveiled a disagreement he had with Parker and Ginobili.

During a recent edition of his podcast, the “Big Shot Bob Pod,” Horry stated that he disagreed with Parker’s and Ginobili’s decision to play for their respective national teams. (H/t Matt Guzman of Inside the Spurs)

“I looked at Manu, and I looked at Tony; I said, ‘I’m all about believing in your country, but you’re messing with my money,'” Horry said. “When you come into the NBA season, you don’t have the same gusto, you’re tired at the end of the season, you don’t have legs.”

Obviously, Parker played for the French national team and Ginobili played for Argentina, but Horry was worried that their international play would cut into their NBA performance.

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Spurs legend Tony Parker slams France after FIBA World Cup exit

San Antonio Spurs legend Tony Parker recently ripped into the French national team after their elimination from the FIBA World Cup.

Few organizations have embraced the game of basketball at an international level more than the San Antonio Spurs. Throughout the years, they’ve been home to guys like Tony Parker (France), Manu Ginobili (Argentina), and now Victor Wembanyama (France). Even Tim Duncan, who played his college ball at Wake Forest, was born outside the 50 states, as he’s from the US Virgin Islands.

And as the FIBA World Cup rolls on, plenty of great players are getting their chance to shine. Unfortunately, a relatively stacked France squad got bounced early, and Parker wasn’t too happy about it, ripping into his fellow countrymen after their elimination.

When talking with Stephen Time of RMC Sport, Parker said there’s “a bit of shame” that is being felt after France’s exit. (H/t Translated to English by Mike Taylor of Inside the Spurs)

“There, we (France) really experienced a fiasco,” said Parker. “I talked about it for a long time with Nicolas Batum, we spoke for an hour on the phone, and it’s true that it’s very, very disappointing. It’s not normal for such a team to lose in the first round. We have never seen Spain and the United States go out in the first round. And it’s a shame because our generation worked so hard to bring France back to a certain level, so that we could be respected, by FIBA, the referees, the other countries. Latvia had a great match. They had some crazy shots, but it’s not normal. It’s still a bit of a shame.”

Rudy Gobert, Nicolas Batum, Evan Fournier, and others were part of the French team that got bounced. They’ll be looking to find their footing again at the 2024 Olympics.

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Will Spurs ever build Tim Duncan, Tony Parker, Manu Ginobili statues?

Should the San Antonio Spurs build statues for Tim Duncan, Tony Parker, and Manu Ginobili?

Throughout the course of NBA history, the San Antonio Spurs have separated themselves as one of the greatest franchises ever. With their selection of Victor Wembanyama with the first pick in this year’s NBA Draft, they have a chance to start a new era of Spurs basketball, and it will be built on the back of past dynasties.

Most recently, they enjoyed decades of success led by Tim Duncan, Tony Parker, and Manu Ginobili. Duncan ended his career with five rings, while both Parker and Ginobili have two. With how much success they had in San Antonio, how will the Spurs honor them?

During a recent edition of the Locked On Spurs podcast, host Jeff Garcia and Michael Jimenez of Alamo City Podcast pondered whether or not the organization will build them statues.

Do you think the Spurs should build statues for the Big 3?

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Former Spur Boris Diaw on Gregg Popovich: ‘He made us keep it real’

Spurs Wire chatted with former Spur Boris Diaw about coach Popovich, Tony Parker, and the entire San Antonio franchise.

There was plenty of love on display for the San Antonio Spurs during the 2023 enshrinement ceremony at the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. San Antonio head coach Gregg Popovich was honored, along with Tony Parker, coach Becky Hammon, and Pau Gasol. The entire weekend was full of stories and praise for these members of the Spurs family, and plenty of current and former Spurs were in attendance to celebrate.

During the enshrinement event for the Class of 2023, Spurs Wire caught up with former Spur and 2014 NBA champion Boris Diaw. Diaw spent four seasons in San Antonio, and served as a key role player during the club’s 2014 title run. Diaw presently serves as the president of Metropolitans 92, Victor Wembanyama’s former club. He spoke about his time with the Spurs, coach Popovich, and fellow Frenchman Tony Parker.

“It was an amazing era.” Diaw said. “The last three Hall of Fame classes we’ve had players from the Spurs. You can see how many great people came from this great organization.”

Tony Parker on entering Hall of Fame with Gregg Popovich: ‘Just can’t get rid of him’

San Antonio Spurs legend Tony Parker poked fun at Gregg Popovich when discussing their simultaneous enshrinement into the 2023 Hall of Fame.

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With Tony Parker‘s and Gregg Popovich‘s induction into the Basketball Hall of Fame as a member of the 2023 class, the San Antonio Spurs will go down as one of the greatest organizations in NBA history. In 2021, Tim Duncan was inducted, and Manu Ginobili followed him in 2022. Now, the entire core will be in the Hall together.

Parker is a four-time NBA champion, a six-time NBA All-Star, a four-time All-NBA player, and the 2007 NBA Finals MVP. And with his induction, Parker will become the first French player enshrined into the Hall of Fame. It’s an enormous honor, but Parker will have to share it.

During his press conference on Friday afternoon, Parker was asked about what it’s like to enter the Hall of Fame alongside Popovich, and he poked fun at his long-time coach.

“I just can’t get rid of him,” said Parker. “Really, you have to put Pop in the same Hall of Fame [class] as me?”

Parker spent nearly his entire career playing under Popovich, and while he made sure to crack a joke at his expense, the former point guard also spoke highly of his coach.

“Pop meant so much to me for my life and my career,” said Parker. “He was like a second dad. And at the end of the day, he threw me into the fire. After five games into the season, he was like, ‘You’re our starting point guard at 19 years old.’ And the rest is history. I feel very lucky and blessed to go in with Coach Pop.”

Now, Parker and Popovich will join Duncan and Ginobili in the Hall of Fame, cementing that era of Spurs basketball in history forever.

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Who can be the Spurs’ Tony Parker to Victor Wembanyama’s Tim Duncan?

Which player on the San Antonio Spurs will be the Tony Parker to Victor Wembanyama’s Tim Duncan?

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The San Antonio Spurs‘ offseason was highlighted by their selection of Victor Wembanyama with the first pick in the 2023 NBA Draft. Wembanyama is arguably the most hyped-up prospect since LeBron James in 2003, and most people consider him to be one of the greatest prospects in the history of basketball.

He’ll join a line of great Spurs big men, with Tim Duncan being the most recent. But Duncan didn’t do things alone. He had a great team around him, and namely, he had Tony Parker right by his side for years. Duncan won four of his five championships with Parker next to him.

But if Wembanyama is aiming to follow in the foosteps of Duncan, who will be his Parker?

Now, the qualifcation to be Wembanyama’s Parker doesn’t require the player to play the point guard position. Instead, this is more a discussion of who could be Wembanyama’s right-hand man.

Throughout the course of his career, Parker was a six-time All-Star, a four-time All-NBA player, and a one-time NBA Finals MVP. Can anyone currently in a Spurs uniform come close to replicating that success?

Devin Vassell seems like the best option who is currently in place. The soon-to-be 23-year-old just had a great third-year campaign and is on track to be one of the team’s leading scorers during the Wembanyama era.

Jeremy Sochan is another guy who stands out as a potential candidate, but he does most of his work on the defensive end. His skillset could put him in DPOY conversations down the line.

Keldon Johnson, Tre Jones, and Sidy Cissoko are the only other players who could even come close to this conversation, but unless one takes a huge jump, it seems unlikely they could be the second guy on a title team.

In reality, there’s a chance that Wembanyama’s Parker isn’t on the Spurs. But if he is, who do you think it will be?

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