Tony Parker and Gregg Popovich spent a long time together as core members of the San Antonio Spurs dynasty. Recently, the two Spurs were inducted into the Naismith Hall of Fame together. Having amassed $160,000,000 during his time in San Antonio alone, Parker has many stories in store from his days in the decorated NBA dynasty. Speaking about one of them during his Hall of Fame enshrinement speech, Parker revealed how his former teammate, Tim Duncan intimidated him into passing the ball without using a single word.
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As a point guard, Parker’s legacy is admittedly a bit underrated. The Frenchman was essential to the Spurs’ success in the NBA. Being the perfect player for Popovich’s ball movement system, Parker facilitated easy buckets for his teammates, not a very easy task to do at the highest level.
Due to Jason Kidd and Deron Williams’s presence in the same era, many often tend to overlook Parker’s ability as a crafty scorer. His array of handles, floaters, and mid-range shots were ahead of its time. In fact, they were perhaps the biggest reason why he won the Finals MVP over Duncan in the 2007 NBA Finals.
Tony Parker revealed that Tim Duncan’s eyes were enough to put the fear of death in him
Tony Parker was very confident in his abilities from very early on in his NBA career. He knew what he could do on the court, and executed Popovich’s system perfectly. So what was there to be nervous about?
As the now-Hall of Famer recently revealed, no amount of confidence could stop him from being intimidated by Tim Duncan’s eyes. Here is what he said, as per Rachel Nichols.
Tony Parker on Tim Duncan calling for the ball with his eyes – “He would just look at me, and I would go to Pop. And Pop said, did he give you the look? And I said yeah. If you want to still have a point guard tomorrow, we better call a play for him.”
— Rachel Nichols (@Rachel__Nichols) August 13, 2023
Tony Parker cried during his speech
Given that these former athletes are finally receiving the ultimate honor in the game of basketball, a few tears from each of them are only expected. However, Parker managed to keep nothing more than a wry smile on his face, while talking about his former teammates and head coach.
But when it came time to address his family, the former NBA star couldn’t hold it in anymore, as per Rachel Nichols. Here is what the reporter said on the matter.
Tony Parker breaking down in tears addressing his family – his parents and his brothers. Then he gets to his kids, who start mugging for the audience. “Yeah, they like the camera,” he says, laughing. https://t.co/ymFTFAomZX
— Rachel Nichols (@Rachel__Nichols) August 13, 2023
It is undoubtedly an incredible moment for Parker, one that he deserves.
