Parker was born inBruges,Belgium, and raised in France.[13][14] His father,Tony Parker Sr., anAfrican American, played basketball atLoyola University Chicago as well as professionally inthe Netherlands, in Belgium and in France.[15][16] His mother, Pamela Firestone, is aDutch model.[14] His maternal grandmother, Jetty Baars-Wienese, is a Dutch national tennis champion (1956), whose brother and Tony's great-uncleJan Wienese is an Olympic gold medalist in rowing.[17] Parker enjoyed close relationships with his brothers, and they would often attend their father's basketball games together.[18] At first, Parker was more interested insoccer, but after watching the evolution ofMichael Jordan into a global basketball superstar during summer trips to his father's native city ofChicago, he changed his mind.[19] Parker's two younger brothers were also heavily involved in basketball;T. J. and Pierre would go on to play basketball at college and professional levels.[14] As Parker built his skill, he played thepoint guard position, recognizing that his speed and agility made this position ideal for him.[19] At age 15, he became anaturalized French citizen while retaining his American nationality.[20][21] He was eventually asked to attend theINSEP in Paris.[22]
After playing in the French amateur leagues for two seasons, Parker turned professional and signed withParis Basket Racing in 1999 at age 17.[14] In the summer of 2000, Parker was invited to theNike Hoop Summit inIndianapolis. In a contest between the American and EuropeanAll-Stars, Parker recorded 20points, sevenassists, fourrebounds and twosteals.[23] His performance prompted a recruiting war among several colleges, includingUCLA andGeorgia Tech.[23] Parker decided to forgo theNCAA and to remain in France; he spent the next year with Paris Basket Racing in theFrench League before entering the2001 NBA draft.
"...[When] we gave [Tony Parker] his first workout, we didn't think he was tough enough – and we sent him home. And then we set up another interview, another workout... and he was fantastic in that one."
Before the2001 NBA draft, Parker was invited to theSan Antonio Spurs' summer camp. CoachGregg Popovich had him play against Spurs scout and ex-NBA playerLance Blanks. Parker was overwhelmed by Blanks's tough and physical defense, and Popovich was ready to send him away after just 10 minutes.[25] But after seeing a "best of" mix tape of Parker's best plays, Popovich decided to invite Parker a second time.[23] This time, Parker made a better impression against Blanks; the Frenchman later described Blanks as a "one-man wrecking crew".[25] But while Popovich decided that Parker was worth the gamble, the Spurs still had to hope that other teams would not pick Parker during the draft. Parker's name was barely mentioned in the pre-draft predictions, and the point guard was drafted 28th overall by the Spurs on draft day.[23]
After initially playing backup toAntonio Daniels,[23] Parker became a starter and made 77 regular-season appearances in his rookie season, averaging 9.2points, 4.3assists and 2.6rebounds in 29.4 minutes per game.[14] When he played against theLos Angeles Clippers on 30 October 2001, he became the third French player to play in an NBA game, afterTariq Abdul-Wahad andJérôme Moïso.[26] By the end of the season, the rookie led San Antonio in assists andsteals, and was named to the All-Rookie First Team for2001–02, becoming the first foreign-bornguard to earn the honor.[14]
In 2002–03, Parker played in all 82 regular-season games as San Antonio's startingpoint guard[27] on a team that was largely revamped from previous years.[23] He improved his regular season statistics, averaging 15.5points per game (ppg), 5.3 assists per game (apg) and 2.6rebounds per game (rpg).[27] Parker's role as the team'splaymaker was reflected in his leading the team in assists on 49 occasions.[14] During the 2003NBA All-Star Weekend, Parker represented the Sophomores in theRookie Challenge, and also participated in the inauguralSkills Challenge.[14]In the post season, the Spurs, led by Tim Duncan, defeated theNew Jersey Nets 4–2 inthe finals, and Parker earned his first NBAchampionship ring.[28] Despite the victory, Parker struggled with inconsistent play throughout the playoffs, and was often benched in favor of more experienced guardsSteve Kerr andSpeedy Claxton late in the games.[25]
Despite winning a championship with the Spurs, doubts lingered over Parker's future. The Spurs had attempted and failed to acquireNew Jersey Nets'Jason Kidd, but Parker told coach Popovich that he wanted to be San Antonio's starting point guard.[29] Parker played well duringthe regular season, recording 14.7 ppg, 5.5 apg and 3.2 rpg.[27] However, the Spurs were defeated by theLos Angeles Lakers in theWestern Conference semi-finals in the2004 NBA Playoffs, and were denied back-to-back titles.[23]
During the2004–05 season, Parker recorded improved regular season statistics, tallying 16.6 ppg, 6.1 apg and a career-high 3.7 rpg.[27] He was also ranked 13th in the league in total assists, and was third among point guards infield goal percentage.[14] The Spurs were strong inthe playoffs, and Parker was instrumental in the victories over theDenver Nuggets,Seattle SuperSonics andPhoenix Suns.[23] However, Parker struggled in the Finals series against theDetroit Pistons. Spurs colleaguesManu Ginóbili andBrent Barry often took over playmaking duties as Parker was unable to perform as well as he did in the regular season.[25] Nevertheless, the Spurs won their third-ever NBA championship by defeating the defending champions 4–3 in the2005 NBA Finals.[28]
"He told me, 'Coach, I'll play in the NBA and, one day, France will recognize me as a great player'. It's incredible how, at 18 years old, he could have such confidence. I thought he could play in the NBA, but not that he would become a player of the importance he is today."
-Claude Bergeaud, who coached Parker on the French junior team[16]
Parker in a 2007–08 game against Washington Wizards'Gilbert Arenas
Parker was selected for the first time in his career anNBA All-Star for the2005–06 season[30] as he managed 18.9 ppg and an impressive .548 in field goal percentage.[27] Parker's scoring average was even higher than Duncan's,[31] and his form propelled the Spurs to a 63–19 win–loss record and qualification for the2006 NBA Playoffs. However, the top-seeded Spurs were again unable to win back-to-back titles as they were eliminated in the second round by theDallas Mavericks.[32]
On 14 February 2007, after delivering consistent numbers in the first half of the2006–07 season, Parker was selected to play in the2007 NBA All-Star Game as a reserve guard.[33] With Parker operating as the starting point guard in the 2006–07 season, the Spurs qualified for the2007 NBA Playoffs and finished second in theSouthwest Division.[34] In the Western Conference Semifinals, the Spurs met thePhoenix Suns led by two-time and reigningNBA MVPSteve Nash. After eliminating the Suns, the Spurs defeated theUtah Jazz 4–1 to win the Western Conference Finals.[35] Parker and the Spurs went on to face theCleveland Cavaliers and swept them 4–0 to win the2007 NBA Finals.[36] In this series, Parker consistently outplayed his Cavaliers counterpartsDaniel Gibson and All-Defensive Team memberLarry Hughes and scored a series-high 24.5 points, accompanied by a high field goal percentage of 56.8% and of 57.1% from three-point range.[25] For his performances, he was named the 2007NBA Finals MVP,[36] becoming the first European-born player to receive the award.[16]
"When there is talk about the best point guards, sometimes they don't talk about me. But that's not my main motivation. They can talk about Jason Kidd, Steve Nash, Deron Williams and Chris Paul. I still have the most rings."
In the2007–08 regular season, Parker recorded similar averages as the previous two seasons for points and rebounds, and slightly increased his assists per game average.[27] The Spurs finished third in the Western Conference and faced the Phoenix Suns in the first round of the2008 NBA Playoffs. For the third time in four years, San Antonio prevailed over Phoenix; Parker had an outstanding first-round series, averaging nearly 30 points and 7 assists a game.[38] In the next round againstChris Paul'sNew Orleans Hornets, the Spurs dropped the first two road games before responding with a strong win in the third game. In that game, Parker recorded adouble-double with 31 points and 11 assists.[39] The experienced Spurs took seven games to defeat the Hornets, but were unable to get past the Los Angeles Lakers in the Conference Finals, and the Spurs once again failed to win back-to-back NBA championships.[40]
San Antonio got off to a rocky start in their2008–09 NBA season, losing the first three contests. In their fourth game against theMinnesota Timberwolves, however, Parker scored a career-high 55 points to lead the Spurs to their first victory of the campaign.[41] The Spurs recovered soon enough, and approached the All-Star break ranked second in the Conference. With Parker averaging a career-high in points per game, he was named as a reserve for the 2009 All-Star game.[42] The Spurs were without influentialshooting guard Ginóbili for much for the season, and greater responsibility fell on Parker's shoulders. He helped lead the team to a 54–28 record and the third seed for theplayoffs,[43] In Game 4 of the first round against Dallas, Parker matchedGeorge Gervin's franchise playoff record for points in a half with 31.[44] However, the Spurs eventually lost 4–1, bowing out of the playoffs in the first round for the first time since 2000.[45] Parker's 28.6 points and 4.2 rebounds per game broke his previous playoffs career-best averages of 22.4 points and 3.7 rebounds.[27] On 13 May 2009, he was named to theAll-NBA Third Team.[46]
With the Spurs looking to provide a more solid supporting cast in the2009–10 season, they acquiredRichard Jefferson,Theo Ratliff,Antonio McDyess,DeJuan Blair, andKeith Bogans.[47]Parker injured his hand during the season and missed 26 games. The Spurs qualified for theplayoffs as the seventh seed, and defeated Dallas 4–2 in the first round, only to lose 4–0 to Phoenix in the next round.[48]
In the2010–11 season, the Spurs compiled a 12-game winning streak to go 13–2 after 15 games. The Spurs were 29–4 after 33 games—one of the ten best starts in NBA history[49]–and led the league at 35–6 halfway through the season.[50] Parker and the Spurs ended the regular season as the first seed in the West for the2011 NBA playoffs, and were second in the league (to Chicago). Despite finishing with a 61–21 record, however, the Spurs could not avoid being upset in the first round, 4–2, by the eighth-seededMemphis Grizzlies.
During the2011 NBA lockout, Parker signed withLDLC ASVEL, the French basketball team in which he owns a stake.[51] Parker's salary was about $2,000 a month. He was quoted as saying, "I'll be playing nearly for free."[52] He also paid his own insurance, which reportedly cost $250,000 for three months.[51]
During the2011–12 NBA season, Parker helped the Spurs reach the best record in the West for the second straight season; the team tied theChicago Bulls for the best overall record in the league. On 4 February 2012, Parker became the all-time assist leader of the franchise with 4,477, surpassingAvery Johnson, adding 42 points in a victory againstOklahoma City Thunder.[53] The Spurs secured their 13th straight 50 win season despite the lockout (a new NBA record), and Parker received his fourthAll-Star nod. He finished fifth inMVP award voting, receiving four first-place votes. Late in the season, the Spurs signed Parker's longtime friendBoris Diaw, who was claimed off waivers from theCharlotte Bobcats. In the 2012 NBA Playoffs, Parker averaged 20.1 points and 6.8 assists as the Spurs swept through the first two rounds, defeating the Utah Jazz and the Los Angeles Clippers. In the Western Conference Finals the Spurs faced the young Oklahoma City Thunder. After winning Game 1 and Game 2, 101–98 and 120–111 respectively, and taking a 2–0 series lead, the Spurs lost four consecutive games, thus losing the series 4–2.
In their second game of the2012–13 season, the Spurs faced the Thunder in a rematch of the previous Western Conference Finals, and Parker hit a game-winner to secure a win for the Spurs. On 10 December 2012, Parker got his first career triple-double after 825 regular-season games against theHouston Rockets in overtime with 27 points, 12 rebounds, and 12 assists. He was the 4th player in NBA history to have gone 800 games or more into their career before their first triple-double, joiningKarl Malone (860),Patrick Ewing (834), andCedric Maxwell (824).[54] Parker was named Western Conference Player of the Month for the month of January 2013 for leading the Spurs to a 12–3 record, and the best record in the NBA. He averaged 21.9 points per game and 7.9 assists per game that month while shooting 56.3% from the field. He became the first Spurs player to receive the honor since Tim Duncan in April 2002.[55] On 21 May 2013, Parker recorded a career-high 18 assists to go with 15 points in the Spurs' Western Conference finals game 2 victory over the Memphis Grizzlies.[56]
In Game 1 of the2013 NBA Finals against the defending champion Miami Heat, Parker hit a clutch jump shot off the glass with 5.2 seconds remaining in the game, securing a 92–88 victory for San Antonio. The Spurs eventually lost the series in seven games.
In May 2014, Parker, alongsideManu Ginóbili andTim Duncan, tied the record for most wins in playoffs history by a trio of players playing together; the record was previously held by theLA Lakers trio ofMagic Johnson,Kareem Abdul-Jabbar andMichael Cooper at 110 wins. The Spurs went on to beat the Thunder in six games and advance to the NBA Finals for the second straight year. San Antonio would once again face theMiami Heat and would win the2014 NBA Finals in five games. This victory gave Parker his fourth championship and the fifth championship to the Spurs.
On 1 August 2014, Parker signed a three-year, $43.3 million contract extension with the Spurs.[57][58] The Spurs finished the2014–15 season with a 55–27 record, but lost in the first round of the playoffs to theLos Angeles Clippers in seven games. Parker struggled in the playoffs due to injury and averaged 10.9 points a game on 36% shooting.
In the2015–16 season, Parker helped the Spurs win a franchise-best 67 games while averaging 11.9 points per game. In the2016 playoffs, the Spurs swept theMemphis Grizzlies in the first round, but were eliminated in the second round by theOklahoma City Thunder in six games.
Heading into the2016–17 season, Parker lost longtime teammateTim Duncan to retirement. The Spurs finished the season with a 61–21 record, as they registered back-to-back 60-win seasons for the first time in franchise history. Parker played 63 games and averaged 10.1 points per game. In the2017 playoffs, the Spurs were once again matched with the Memphis Grizzlies in the first round. San Antonio again defeated Memphis 4–2, with Parker averaging 16.3 points per game in the series. After scoring 18 points in Game 2 of the second round, a win against theHouston Rockets, Parker left the game with a rupture of his left quadriceps tendon that ended his season.[59][60][61] Game 3 of the series marked San Antonio's first postseason game without Parker since 2001, which ended an NBA record of 221 straight playoff appearances for Parker.[62] The injury required surgery and led some to speculate Parker could miss significant time, if he came back at all.[63]
On 27 November 2017, in a 115–108 win over the Dallas Mavericks, Parker had six points and four assists in 14 minutes in his first appearance since tearing his quadriceps tendon.[63] On 29 November, Parker had 10 points and five assists while playing 18 minutes in his second game back.[64] In his last season with the Spurs, Parker played 55 games and averaged a career-low 7.7 points a game. The Spurs made it to the playoffs and lost to theGolden State Warriors in 5 games in the first round.
On 11 November 2019, the Spursretired Parker's No. 9 jersey.[65]
On 23 July 2018, Parker signed a two-year contract with theCharlotte Hornets.[66] He made his debut as a Hornets player on 17 October 2018, recording 8 points on 4/8 shooting, 7 assists, and 3 rebounds while coming off of the bench in 19 minutes of action in a 113–112 loss to theMilwaukee Bucks.[67]
On 10 June 2019, Parker announced his retirement from the NBA.[68] He ended his career ranked fifth in career playoff assists (1,143) and ninth in career playoff scoring (4,045).[69]
France won the bronze medal in the 2005 FIBA EuroBasket, by defeating theSpanish national team 98–68 in the bronze medal game.[72] As the captain of the French national team since 2003, Parker was slated to lead France at the2006 FIBA World Championship, but he was unable to play after breaking a finger when he caught his hand in the jersey of aBrazilian national team player in France's final warm-up for the tournament.[73] During theEuroBasket 2007, Parker averaged 20.1 points per game and 2.8 assists per game in nine tournament games,[74] but France was defeated in the quarter-finals by theRussian national team.[75] He passed the2010 FIBA World Championship to recover fully from some injuries he had during the2009–10 NBA season.[76] Parker returned to the team in 2011, and France reached the finals of the2011 EuroBasket, losing to Spain.[77] Parker also joined the team for the2012 Summer Olympics in London. In 2013, Parker and the French national team won the2013 FIBA EuroBasket tournament.
On 12 July 2024, theFrench Federation of Basketball officially retired Parker's national team jersey number 9, ahead of a friendly game againstSerbia at theLDLC Arena inLyon.[81][82] Retiring a number for a player is not a French tradition, thus, his number retirement was the first of such kind in any French sport.[81]
Standing at 6 feet 2 inches tall (1.88 m) and weighing 185 pounds (84 kg), Parker played at thepoint guard position and established himself as a potent offensive player. He was voted by his peers in a 2007 poll, as one of the quickest players in the NBA,[83] and he oftenslashed to the basket for alayup orteardrop shot. Despite his relatively small size for a basketball player, he led the league in "points in the paint" for a large portion of the2005–06 season.
In the initial part of his NBA career, Parker was still considered an erratic shooter off the ball and during the 2005 off-season, CoachPopovich decided to work on that aspect of his play. Spurs shooting coachChip Engelland[25] forbade Parker to shoot any three-point shots, and among others, corrected his shooting motion and his thumb position. As a result, by the2006–07 season, Parker had reduced his three-point shot attempts by 117, while shooting 147 more normal field goal attempts compared to 2005, and his accuracy rose by 4% (field goals and three-point shots). He was also able to connect on 78% of his free throws that season.[25] Parker developedtendinitis in his knees early in his career.[84]
Member of the 2006 San Antonio All-Star Shooting Stars team. He sealed the victory by making the half-court shot on his first attempt, setting an All-Star Shooting Star record time of 25.1 seconds.[85] He was joined on the team by retired SpurSteve Kerr, andKendra Wecker from theSan Antonio Silver Stars of theWNBA.[85]
NBA Western Conference Player of the Month for the month of January 2013; first Spurs player to receive the honor sinceTim Duncan in April 2002.[55]
In 2009, Parker bought a 20 percent stake in the French basketball clubLDLC ASVEL, located inLyon, and held the ceremonial title of Vice President of Basketball Operations. During the2011 NBA lockout, Parker signed to play for ASVEL, for theFrench League's minimum wage, until the lockout ended. In 2014, Parker became the majority shareholder of the club, and is nowthe president of the team.[87]
In September 2015, Parker announced the launch of his own basketball academy in the city of Lyon.[88] On 12 July 2016, he and his business partners published the plans for the construction of a new arena inVilleurbanne, which will become LDLC ASVEL's new home court.[89]
In March 2017, it was announced that Parker had become the majority shareholder of Lyon Basket Féminine, a member of theFrench women's basketball league now known asLDLC ASVEL Féminin, and that he would also take over as chairman of the club at the conclusion of the fiscal year 2016–17.[90][91]
Parker met actressEva Longoria in November 2004. In August 2005, Longoria confirmed she and Parker were dating, and on 30 November 2006, the couple became engaged.[92] Longoria, aTexas native from nearbyCorpus Christi, was a courtside regular at Spurs home games. Parker was quoted during the2007 NBA All-Star Game saying that, "Eva is doing everything, I'm just going to show up and say yes." They were married in a civil service on 6 July 2007, at a Paris city hall. That was followed by a fullCatholic wedding ceremony at theSaint-Germain l'Auxerrois Church in Paris, France, on 7 July 2007.[93] Fellow Frenchman, NBA player and future teammate,Boris Diaw was Parker's best man for the wedding.
On 17 November 2010, Longoria filed for divorce in Los Angeles, citing "irreconcilable differences" after Parker reportedly engaged in anemotional affair with the wife of his Spurs teammateBrent Barry.[94]
Longoria soughtspousal support from Parker.[95] The couple had aprenuptial agreement that was signed in June 2007, the month before their wedding, and amended two years later in June 2009.[96] Unlike Longoria's divorce petition, Parker's did not mention a prenuptial agreement and claimed that the parties "will enter into an agreement for the division of their estate".[97] The divorce was finalized in Texas on 28 January 2011, the same day Longoria's lawyer filed papers to dismiss her Los Angeles petition.[98]
Parker began dating French journalist Axelle Francine in 2011. In June 2013, it was reported that the couple was engaged.[99] Parker and Axelle Francine married on 2 August 2014.[100] They have two sons born in April 2014 and July 2016.[101][102] The couple announced their separation in August 2020.[103][104]
During his playing career, Parker donated a block of 20 tickets foreach home game to underprivileged youth.[14] Parker is also the first ambassador forMake-A-Wish France.[105] TheFoundation is a non-profit organization that grants wishes to children with life-threatening medical conditions. On his personal website, Parker states: "I already knew Make-A-Wish as it is very famous around the world and I have previously taken part in the granting of wishes by meeting children and their families. I decided to commit to working with Make-A-Wish France when I understood the true dedication there and I realized that I could help to grant as many wishes as possible."[105]
Tony Parker has also been known for participating to other former NBA point guardSteve Nash's foundation, and his ex-wifeEva Longoria's NGO Eva's Heroes.[106]
Parker is an avid enthusiast ofhip-hop andrap music. He has released a French hip-hop album titledTP with producer Polygrafic (Sound Scientists). The album features collaborations with various artists includingBooba, Don Choa, Eloquence, Eddie B,Jamie Foxx, K-Reen,Rickwel andSoprano. Thesingles taken from the album include:
"Bienvenue dans le Texas",[107] featuring French rapperBooba and released on 17 March 2007 and made available via iTunes. This initial release did not chart in France.
"Balance-toi",[108] which featuresEva Longoria. It reached the number one position in theSNEP official French chart, staying there for one week. It also charted in the Belgian French (Wallonia) bubbling underUltratip charts, reaching number 4.
"Premier Love"[109] (with Parker doing the French part and singer Rickwel the English part). The single made it to #11 inSNEP, the official French Singles Chart.
*Did not appear in the official Belgian Ultratop 50 charts, but rather in the bubbling under Ultratip charts where it peaked at number 4. Fifty chart positions were added to the Ultratip peak to arrive at an equivalent Ultratop position
Parker was also involved in theParis bid for the2012 Summer Olympics. His reaction toLondon's successful bid was: "I don't know what else we could have done. If we don't have it now, I guess we will never get it. The IOC seems to be very pro-Anglo-Saxon. I feel extremely gutted."[114]
Parker has a well-known friendship with compatriotfootballerThierry Henry. The two were often seen together at some of Parker's NBA games. Parker was seen with his wife atEuro 2008 during one of France's match.
In 2012, Parker and his brothers opened a nightclub, Nueve Lounge, in San Antonio.[115] However, the business closed down within a year.[116]
In December 2019, Parker bought a 3% stake in theTacoma, Washington-basedNational Women's Soccer League team then known as Reign FC and now asOL Reign. He acquired this interest as part of a larger transaction in which OL Groupe, the parent company of prominent French football clubOlympique Lyonnais, bought an 89.5% stake in the NWSL team.[117][118]
Parker was involved in the iconic Olympics torch pass during the Summer Olympics 2024 in Paris.
Parker was injured on 14 June 2012 at the W.I.P nightclub in the SoHo district of New York City when a brawl broke out between entertainersChris Brown andDrake.[119] Parker filed a $20 million suit against the night club.[120] Parker risked missing the 2012 Summer Olympics after a piece of glass thrown in the fight deeply penetrated his eye, requiring surgery to remove.[121][122] However, on 6 July 2012, he was cleared to participate.[123]
Tony Parker, for his number retirement in July 2024
Parker also appeared in the 2008 French filmAsterix at the Olympic Games as Tonus Parker,[125] and he has been given token roles in various TV series likeEn aparté (2005), in addition to the French seriesOn n'est pas couché (2011). He also played himself in the short filmThe Angels (2011), directed by Stéphane Marelli;[126] and in a cameo appearance in season 4, episode 2 of the Netflix seriesCall My Agent (2020). He has participated in a number of episodes ofFort Boyard. He was the subject of the animated seriesBaskup - Tony Parker.[127]
In 2021, Parker was the subject of theNetflix documentaryTony Parker: The Final Shot directed by Florent Bodin.[128]
^Brouet, Christophe (22 September 2013)."Tony Parker MVP de l'Euro !".basket-infos.com (in French). Archived fromthe original on 28 September 2013. Retrieved23 September 2013.
^"Tony Parker répond aux journalistes".NBA.com (in French).Archived from the original on 15 May 2019. Retrieved15 May 2019.Je suis français. Mon père est américain, j'ai un passeport américain et un passeport français et j'ai grandi en France. Je suis 50/50. (I am French. My father is American, I have an American passport and a French passport and I grew up in France. I am 50/50.)
