Tony Parker has reached the end of his international basketball career. After France was eliminated short of the medal round, the San Antonio Spurs guard made it official. He would retire from international play. The next question was, what about the NBA?
One of his three running mates for over a decade, Tim Duncan, announced his retirement earlier this summer and the big man was the first to go our of the legendary San Antonio trio. Duncan, Parker and Manu Ginobili, who also retired from international play after Argentina was eliminated in the Olympics, is the most successful trio in NBA history and their career victories and titles together prove it. Now with one member gone, everyone wonders who is next.
According to Tony Parker, it most likely won’t be him.
Following from Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today Sports.
Parker said he told San Antonio coach Gregg Popovich this would be his final international competition.
“I want to end my Spurs career on a high note. I want to play five more years,” Parker said.
Parker wanting to stay on board for five more seasons sets up the Spurs to not only continue in the Kawhi Leonard and LaMarcus Aldridge era with a familiar face but it allows Tony to also work in the next point guard of the future and work with that guard to teach him the Spurs ways.
Parker’s is not the same player as he once was during the Spurs last title run in 2014. He’s lost a step for sure but he still can offer the Spurs organization a whole lot.
