- Tony Parker was drafted by the Spurs with the 28th pick in 2001 and Tim Duncan didn’t seem to think too highly of him
- Parker revealed that Duncan didn’t speak to him during his rookie season
- Parker joked Duncan does not like French people
Tony Parker and Tim Duncan formed one of the greatest guard-big man duos in NBA history, as they won four titles as teammates on the San Antonio Spurs. While the two share a strong bond now, Parker revealed that wasn’t always the case.
When Parker arrived in the NBA in 2001 as a little-known French point guard, Duncan didn’t seem to think much of him. During his Hall of Fame induction speech, Parker talked about the big man not speaking to him during his rookie season and gave a hilarious reason for it.
“Timmy didn’t talk to me my rookie year,” Parker said. ” And people think I’m crazy when I say that but it’s true. Timmy don’t like French people. He doesn’t like my French accent… It’s not until I played good in my rookie year against Gary Payton that he finally said one word, actually two words, three words. I remember, ‘You’ll be alright.'”
(starts at 5:18 mark):
Duncan had no faith in Parker after that 2001 NBA Draft. The big man felt they won’t ever win a title with a European point guard, and boy was he wrong about that. Gregg Popovich knew that Parker could be really good, and he certainly was.
Tony Parker Balled Out Against Gary Payton
As Parker says, it wasn’t until he faced off against Gary Payton that Duncan gained some respect for him. The Spurs and the Seattle Supersonics faced off in the first round of the playoffs in the Frenchman’s rookie season, and the 19-year-old Parker played very well against one of the best defensive point guards in the league.
He averaged 17.2 points, 3.6 rebounds, 2.6 assists, and 0.6 steals per game as the Spurs wrapped up the series in five games. Parker was also incredibly efficient, shooting 50.0% from the field and 53.3% from beyond the arc. Duncan could see that the teenager could indeed play at the highest level and the following year, they’d win their first championship together.
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