4x NBA Champion Tony Parker might not have been the flashiest player, but his knowledge and mastery of the game stretched far and wide.
In a recent story told by Cavs youngster Collin Sexton, he revealed the time Parker taught him a valuable lesson during his rookie season. Here’s the story, as told on “The Old Man & The Three”:
“I think my rookie season, is when it all pretty much changed for me because I think I was playing against Tony Parker and I think he gave me like four fouls in the first quarter… I was like mind blown because I have never experienced that and he was like, ‘I got you rook.’ I could do nothing with it,” Sexton told JJ Reddick in his podcast.
“I would probably say decision making and just trying to adjust to the different teams and the different players. Any given night certain players might be out of the game or might be resting. The guy that’s the seventh on the bench, he comes in and acts as a starter. So, you have to make sure you know what his tendencies are, make sure you are locked in.”
For a 36-year-old Parker to get the upper hand on Sexton so quickly really shows how much good he was. Clearly, it’s something that took Sexton a bit off guard.
But he has since learned from that experience and has learned to adapt his game and prepare for any possibility on the court.
That growth is probably what helped contribute to his breakout campaign this season, which has him averaging 23.9 points, 4.2 assists, and 1.2 steals per game on 47% shooting.
The sky is truly the limit for this kid. He did learn from the best, after all…
