The San Antonio Spurs, by virtue of having a great organization and some luck, have maintained a relatively consistent team for the past decade. With a core that has always included Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili, and Tony Parker, they have been able to stay near the top of the Western Conference (and the league) for that entire stretch. Now, with all three of those players getting older, it seems as though that era is soon to be over – even if the Spurs continue to excel with Kawhi Leonard and recent addition LaMarcus Aldridge leading the way.
However, while most seem to think that every member of the former “Big Three” is soon to retire, one of them thinks differently. In an interview with Yahoo Sports’ Marc Spears, Tony Parker proclaimed that he wants to remain a Spur for twenty seasons, after which he will retire having played for only one team in the NBA. The 33 year old and 14-year veteran currently has a three year contract that will take him through the seventeenth season of his illustrious career.
While it would be great for everyone to see Parker get through twenty years with the same franchise, a feat that will have only been completed by Kobe Bryant following the upcoming season, it is a massive question mark whether Parker can actually do that and whether the Spurs will want him to. Parker struggled mightily last season, partially due to a series of nagging injuries, and most times, he did not look like the Tony Parker of years back. While he could certainly get back to form now that he is presumably healthy, it seems unlikely that he will be able to perform at a high level for six more years. For his part, however, Parker believes that he will be back at his best starting next season:
“I feel great,” Parker said. “This year is a great opportunity to … have a better year than last year.”
