- Tony Parker spent the first 17 seasons of his NBA career with the Spurs, winning four titles
- Parker then surprisingly joined the Hornets in 2018
- Parker revealed he wanted to link up with his idol, Michael Jordan
After 17 incredible seasons with the San Antonio Spurs, Tony Parker surprised many by joining the Charlotte Hornets in 2018. It was rather odd that Parker chose to leave and that he joined the Hornets of all teams, and it turns out the reason for it was Michael Jordan.
Jordan was, of course, the majority owner of the Hornets at the time. Parker revealed that he just wanted to spend some time with the Chicago Bulls legend, who was his idol.
“I did it because I wanted to spend time with my idol,” Parker said when asked about leaving the Spurs. “I was excited to go and it was like full circle to me. It’s said in the U.S. that you should never meet your idol but for me it was different, it was awesome to spend some time with Michael Jordan and playing with my little brother Nicolas Batum.”
For many who grew up in the 1980s and the 1990s, the Bulls legend was the one to look up to. It certainly would have been quite special for Parker to have that experience, and he seems to cherish it. I should also say here, that the Spurs may have made the decision to leave a rather easy one for Parker, as he had lost his starting spot to Dejounte Murray in his final season there.
Parker would end up signing a two-year, $10 million deal with the Hornets, but retired after just one season. In that campaign, he averaged 9.5 points, 1.5 rebounds, 3.7 assists, and 0.4 steals per game as the team missed the playoffs with a 39-43 record.
Tony Parker Wanted To Be Like Michael Jordan
Parker has always spoken of his admiration for Jordan. When he was growing up in France, the future six-time All-Star wanted to be like the Bulls icon, and Parker also had posters of Jordan in his bedroom. The two also seemed to have gotten along very well during their time together in Charlotte, as Jordan called Parker a friend.
While Parker couldn’t quite become Jordan, he still had a great career nonetheless and is headed to the Hall of Fame. He averaged 15.5 points, 2.7 rebounds, 5.6 assists, and 0.8 steals over 18 seasons in the league. Parker would win four championships with the Spurs and was the Finals MVP when they beat LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2007.
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