A handful of Spurs greats have already taken Victor Wembanyama under their wing.
Not even two days removed from the 2023 NBA Draft, San Antonio Spurs forward Victor Wembanyama has already learned from some of the franchise’s great players.
Wembanyama reportedly dined with Spurs legends Tim Duncan, David Robinson and Manu Ginobili on Friday night, and the rookie raved on Saturday about how much they taught him and invested in him for their few hours together.
“In probably a couple hours, I learned more about the NBA than in my whole life,” Wembanyama said. “It’s comforting to see that these people, who are so important to the city of San Antonio and to the franchise, are such kind people, and generous, because they genuinely wanted to share with me their experience.”
"Such kind people, and generous."
Victor Wembanyama talks about his dinner with Spurs legends David Robinson, Tim Duncan, and Manu Ginobili. pic.twitter.com/uaZ1pVtmyf
“I know he wanted to go to San Antonio, and so it feels like it was destiny, with the French connection we built over the years,” Parker told AP. “And he is going to keep the legacy going. It’s pretty cool.”
Wembanyama is going to carve out his own legacy in San Antonio history, and it’s already so neat to see the Spurs greats of yesterday already embrace the franchise’s future star.
Former NBA great Tony Parker offers his opinion on the Brooklyn Nets as an organization.
The Brooklyn Nets have a lot to look forward to this offseason as they have to put the organization in the best position to move forward so that they can be on the road to a championship contender again. Former NBA great Tony Parker recently shared his thoughts about the Nets as a franchise as they enter a pivotal time in the team’s history.
Brooklyn at one point in time were considered one of the main title contenders in the NBA thanks to Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving coming to town in the summer of 2019. However, four years later, the furthest that the Nets went in the playoffs for a variety of reasons in the second-round.
Considering what Brooklyn was projected to do because of Durant, Irving, and James Harden at one point and then comparing that to what ended up happening is disappointing. Now, all three players have been traded and there are numerous rumors coming out about what caused the superstar experiment to fail. Parker, in his interview with Ajayi Browne on First Class Ticket, said that ego was the root of the failure:
“For sure, we had a big three in San Antonio and it worked out great. One of the things why I think why we were so successful is we never let our ego be in front of the team success, you know?”
One of the more important figures from the Spurs’ last extended run, Tony Parker, has a close connection with Wembanyama. Not only are the two French countrymen, but Parker was also the president of Wembanyama’s previous professional team, ASVEL Basket. As such, with Parker being a bona fide Spurs legend, he’s something of a mentor to the 18-year-old Wembanyama.
In reaction to Wembanyama likely joining the Spurs in next month’s draft, Parker shared a prideful young photo of the center wearing a San Antonio jersey. It was, of course, Parker’s jersey:
Jackson said Parker is one of the most selfish teammates he has ever had.
Tony Parker won four NBA championships during his time with the San Antonio Spurs, but he isn’t immune to criticism.
Parker, who made six NBA All-Star appearances during his professional career and won NBA Finals MVP in 2007, was the subject of conversation during a recent podcast featuring Stephen Jackson and Dejounte Murray.
Both players are former Spurs who played alongside Parker at different points of the guard’s tenure in San Antonio.
Jackson was teammates with Parker when the French star was a rookie in 2001 until 2003 and then again once Parker had already won titles between 2012 and 2014. Murray was drafted in 2016 and shared a locker room with Parker until the veteran left for the Hornets in 2018.
Dejounte Murray opens up about his time with the Spurs. 👀
“My second year, they see I come back obviously getting stronger, getting better. And then that was the year I took the job from Tony. Pop brought us in the office. He told Tony. Tony ain’t like it. I know he ain’t like it … Cuz if he he liked it, he would have mentored me the way he should have. He wouldn’t have went to Charlotte. He would have stayed right there.”
Murray replaced Parker’s spot in the starting lineup in January 2018.
Former Spurs player Stephen Jackson (@DaTrillStak5) says that Tony Parker is a selfish player, a great player,Hall of Famer,but selfish.Says that the Spurs would have won more rings if Tony wasn’t so selfish, and said Manu Ginobili is totally different.
Jackson wasn’t surprised to hear Murray felt this way about Parker and shared similar sentiments:
“I know the type of person Tony is. Great player, going to go down in the Hall of Fame. But he’s very selfish. He’s been selfish. We would have had more championships and more success if it wasn’t for him being so selfish. But he was told as a 16, 17-year-old in France that he was this. He come to the NBA, start as a 19-year-old. But he had a rude awakening … I know the real Tony. He can fool everybody else, but he is one of the most selfish players I have ever played with … It’s all about him. I don’t know how he made it in that system so long.”
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Steph Curry has been incredible so let’s talk about that more.
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What’s good, family. It’s Sykes, once again, back again to usher you into tonight’s playoff action. But first, a word on Steph Curry.
These NBA Finals have been quite a treat so far with tons of twists and turns. It’s been a nice little tug of war. The Celtics have already stolen a game on the road behind some brilliant shooting. But the Warriors have really blitzed them in every third quarter we’ve seen so far.
Most of that has been done behind the brilliance of Stephen Curry.
Curry through two games so far is averaging 31.5 points, 5.5 rebounds and 4.5 assists per game while shooting a cool 46% from the floor and 46% from 3-point range. That’s all while taking 13 3-pointers per game, which is insane.
He’s on pace to be one of 3 players in league history to average 25 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists while having a 55% true shooting mark — the other two are LeBron James and Michael Jordan.
No matter what way you cut it, this dude’s performance so far has been incredible. He’s the straw stirring everyone’s drink on the Warriors. Yet, all anyone has talked about over the last few days has been the officiating.
All that stuff is well and good. But, honestly, the Celtics have much bigger problems on their hands. They need to figure out who can, at least, bother Steph Curry. Because right now? It doesn’t look like they have anybody.
The Tip-Off
Some NBA goodness from around the USA TODAY Sports network.
Prince chatted it up with the Spurs legend about a number of things including playing with the two coaches currently in the NBA Finals, passing the torch to the Warriors and being the young guy at 21 years old in the Finals himself. There was lots of good in the conversation.
But the best part? It was this quote on people overlooking the Spurs’ dynasty.
“To a certain extent. But in the world of basketball, everybody knows we had an unbelievable run, maybe one of the best runs in 20 years in the NBA, if you look at playoffs and all that kind of stuff and all the success we had over the years. I understand that we talk about the Bulls, Lakers, Celtics, Warriors — it doesn’t bother me because when I go home, I have my four rings too. So, I will put them against anybody.”
Celtics (-3.5, -160) vs. Warriors (+130), O/U 212.5, 9 PM ET
Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
This is such a tough one to pick. Game 3 is so pivotal — especially when homecourt has already shifted in the road team’s favor for the series.
The Celtics haven’t been the steadiest at home in the playoffs, though. They’re 5-4 and the Warriors are looking to steal one in TD Garden to get homecourt back. I think we’ll finally get a close one tonight. Give me Warriors +3.5.
Who’s in and out?
Mandatory Credit: Jim Rassol-USA TODAY Sports
— Robert Williams (knee) is questionable for Game 3 against the Warriors
— Gary Payton II (elbow) is questionable for Game 3 against the Celtics
— Otto Porter Jr. (foot) is questionable for Game 3 against the Celtics
— Andre Iguodala (knee) is questionable for Game 3 against the Celtics
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Before the Warriors could rise to power, they had to go through the Spurs.
If there’s anybody who knows what it takes to have sustained success in the NBA for as long as the Golden State Warriors, it’s former All-NBA point guard and 2007 Finals MVP Tony Parker. During his time with the San Antonio Spurs, they laid a path the Warriors are still on, though Golden State has a bit further to go.
In fact, San Antonio’s run outlasted Parker’s own career. By the time he was drafted in 2001, the team had already won a title and made the playoffs in four straight years. With Parker, they made the playoffs another 17 straight years and won four titles in five trips to the NBA Finals.
During the Warriors rise to power, they first had to go through those Spurs. And once they did, Parker was happy to pass the torch to them. He talks about that, what he’s working on with MTN DEW, Buffalo Wild Wings and more in our full conversation below.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity
Philadelphia 76ers guard Tyrese Maxey is drawing comparisons to San Antonio Spurs legend Tony Parker.
Young Philadelphia 76ers guard Tyrese Maxey has been turning heads to begin the 2021-22 season. He has been handed a tough job in his second season amid the ongoing Ben Simmons saga that continues to drag on and he has been impressive on the floor.
The Sixers have handed Maxey the keys to the team as the new point guard and considering the circumstances, he has played well. He is averaging 17.5 points and 4.4 assists while shooting 51.8% from the floor and 42% from deep on 3.3 attempts per game all while continuing to learn how to balance playmaking with scoring.
Maxey’s strong play and the way he plays has earned a comparison of a San Antonio Spurs legend in the form of Tony Parker. The two of them are both 6-foot-2, they both have a quick first step to the basket, and they are efficient at the basket as Maxey is shooting a ridiculous 74.1% at the basket to begin the season.
Maxey still depends to an unusual extent on difficult running bankers, and that makes you a little nervous projecting his future. But his first-step burst is undeniable and unteachable. If he can leverage tricks like the catch-and-go and tweaks to his off-the-dribble game to get to the rim just a bit more often, and if the basketball gods sprinkle in some stardust, you can start imagining a career trajectory that doesn’t look all that different from Tony Parker’s.
Parker is a guy who developed into one of the top point guards in the league and he won a finals MVP in 2007 and if Maxey can continue his current developmental track, it would go a long way in helping the Sixers continue to compete at a high level.
HoopsHype breaks down the biggest draft-night steals from each NBA Draft this century, starting in 2001 going through 2020.
Every NBA draft class has a player, and usually more than one, who fell far too low and wound up being a major steal for the franchise lucky, and smart, enough to take them.
That includes the 2020-21 league MVP, a second-round draft pick from 2014.
So with the 2021 draft coming up, we decided to take a look at the biggest steal from each draft this century, starting in 2001.
For this exercise, we take into account overall player careers and not just how well they played for the team that drafted them.
Tony Parker, owner of ASVEL, blamed his team’s former coach for Theo Maledon’s slide into the second round of the 2020 NBA draft.
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Early last season, French guard Theo Maledon was receiving some lottery buzz for the 2020 NBA draft.
That didn’t stick. His stock plummeted, and he dropped not just out of the lottery but out of the first round altogether. The Oklahoma City Thunder selected him with the rights to the No. 34 pick, which were acquired from the Philadelphia 76ers in the reported Al Horford trade.
How did the prospect fall into the second round?
Former NBA star Tony Parker, who is the majority stakeholder of Maledon’s ASVEL team, put blame on former coach Zvezdan Mitrovic, who was fired in May.
The way (Mitrovic) treated (Maledon), it cost him a place in the first round,” Parker told French news outlet L’Equipe, according to EuroHoops.net. “A player like that should have been in the top 10. I told him he had to be played and to respect the club’s plans.”
Maledon averaged 15.6 minutes over 20 games in LNB Pro A and 17.7 minutes over 22 EuroLeague games last season. His per-36 minute numbers in EuroLeague were a solid 15.1 points, 6.4 assists and 3.6 rebounds per game. He shot 36.7% from the field.
“He clearly ‘killed’ Theo Maledon. Theo and his family resent him,” Parker said. “He put him under the extinguisher for a lot of games where NBA GMs were there and left before the end after coming from the other side of the world to see Theo.”
For what it’s worth, Parker and Mitrovic do not have a good relationship. ASVEL fired Mitrovic on claims of “serious misconduct,” and Mitrovic is suing the club, according to Sportando.
But Maledon did not reject Parker’s claims when asked by RMC Sport.
The people who were at ASVEL, I think they also understand what he (Parker) is saying. After that, I don’t think it’s something that needs to be leaked. Everybody knows what happened,” Maledon said.
Oklahoma City will now be the judge of whether Parker had a point or is simply trying to play up his former point guard.
The trade that landed the Thunder Maledon is expected to be finalized on Tuesday, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer. At that point, the Thunder will begin to evaluate if they snatched a lottery talent out of the second round.
