Tony Parker is one of the best point guards to ever play the game. Parker was a 6-time All-Star and 4-time NBA Champion with the San Antonio Spurs: he was one of the most talented point guards in his generation and has become a Spurs legend due to being part of their dynastic run.
Recently, Netflix has released a documentary about Parker’s career, “Tony Parker: The Final Shot”. In the documentary, Parker details his adoration for one of his basketball idols, Michael Jordan. Jordan served as an inspiration to Parker, and eventually, Parker played in the NBA just like his hero. Parker talking about Jordan starts at 6:20.
He was my idol when I was a kid. I had posters of him in my bedroom. And I wanted to be like him, play in the NBA.
A lot of kids had posters of Jordan on their walls. Not all of them had made it to the NBA, and the fact that Parker did, just shows that he had a similar mentality to his hero: succeed at all costs. Jordan himself appears in an interview within the documentary to talk about Parker and the influence that Jordan’s time in Chicago had on the French point guard:
You know, he tells me that he grew up watching me in Chicago with his family. So, to see him progress and actually have an unbelievable career, I am very happy for him. To be able to know him and call him a friend, is even greater.
Jordan praises Parker, as Parker had a fantastic career with the Spurs. It must be great to see someone who watched you play to succeed in a similar fashion to yourself: Jordan saw Parker succeed during their times in the league, though the overlap was short. For Parker, it must have been amazing to meet Jordan, and eventually, develop a relationship with him.
Michael Jordan and Tony Parker are both names that are set in history forever. The documentary reveals a lot about Tony Parker, and how he got to be where he ended up.
