Tony Parker had one of the most remarkable careers for an overseas player in the NBA. One of the few players to have played against Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, and LeBron James, he has first-hand experience with the superstars. Having swept LeBron and the Cavaliers in the 2007 finals, Tony chose Kobe over him in a tweet shared by ‘Brandon‘ on Twitter.
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In his Hall of Fame career, Tony Parker squared off against LeBron James three times in the NBA Finals. He emerged victorious twice in 2007 and 2014 while losing in 2013. The first encounter was against an inferior Cavaliers team in 2007, and the Spurs swept their opponents.
The 2013 finals against the Heat was one for the history books, and the Spurs lost in seven games. They bounced back the following year to defeat the same Miami Heat team in five games.
Tony Parker chooses Kobe Bryant over LeBron James
Between 1999-2014, the Los Angeles Lakers and the San Antonio Spurs won the NBA championship an astonishing ten times. The two powerhouse franchises were led by NBA superstars – Tim Duncan and Kobe Bryant. Spurs point guard during the era, Tony Parker, talked about the rivalry and his top-ranked opponents. Here is what he said in an interview shared by ‘Brandon’ on Twitter:
“I played LeBron in his prime, Kobe in his prime, Jordan late in his career. For me Jordan is the best player of all time. Kobe was incredible. LeBron ofcoure very very strong but I think Kobe was better. When we played Lakers, it was a big rivalry – Lakers vs Spurs. So I never said to myself – Oh! We have beaten the best player twice. Because the best player in the world for me was Kobe.”
Having faced the three greatest players of the game, Tony gave his opinion on the Greatest of All Time debate. Michael Jordan ranked number one on the list, followed by Kobe Bryant and then LeBron James. Despite facing Kobe and LeBron at the prime of their career, he still believed Jordan to be the best among the three.
Tony moved to Charlotte to play close to Jordan
Tony Parker idolized Michael Jordan growing up. So, when he got the opportunity to spend some time close to the NBA legend, he had no second thoughts. Before his Hall of Fame induction, he talked to ESPN reporter Mallika Andrews about his decision to move to Charlotte.
In 2018, Tony Parker decided to end his career playing for the Charlotte Hornets. Despite having spent his entire career with the San Antonio Spurs, he wanted to be close to his idol during his farewell year in the league. Such was his love for the NBA superstar. Tony said it was amazing to have spent some time with Michael Jordan.
