France’s basketball icon Tony Parker recently sat with his nation’s soccer legend Zinedine Zidane in the latest episode of the SKWEEK, where the two legends discussed on plethora of topics. As both the stars have shared locker rooms with some of the most unique and talented players in their careers, they also talked about a few of them.
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Zidane identified Brazil’s national football team’s center forward, Ronaldo, as a talent who used to make unimaginable things happen in training.
“That was fun when you were with Ronaldo the Brazilian and he told you, ‘Today, I’m going to nutmeg you twice.'”
Right after, the Brazilian used to pull those off, as Zizou highlighted, “Because if you say that and you don’t deliver, everyone makes jokes”.
Upon listening to the story, Parker asked, “That’s the most skilled player you played with?” to which the former midfielder replied, “Yes, by far”. He further shed light on the special talent of the number 9, mentioning, “You are doing your job but there are guys that make you feel something next to you”.
Tony got to relate to this as he identified his former San Antonio Spurs teammate Manu Ginobili as one such performer.
“I would say, my Ronaldo was [Manu] Ginobili,”
he highlighted before adding, “A lefty Argentinian. He was doing stuff that you don’t see every day”. The 4x NBA champion stated,
“In training, he was always trying things that you don’t do in games and he always said, ‘Maybe one day I’ll do it’. And he did it”.
Paying tribute to the endeavors of the international superstar of the league, Parker mentioned, “He was so crazy and creative that he was the most unique player I played with”. In terms of uniqueness, the 41-year-old even put Manu over an all-time great like Tim Duncan.
“Duncan was the best but Ginobili was the most unique.”
The close bond between Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili
Coming from foreign lands, they both had their own set of challenges to overcome in the NBA. Yet, they found a common ground as the duo combined to run the backcourt for their Texas franchise. It resulted in an iconic chemistry as the organization won four championships with them.
Ginobili thus paid his due respect to the French star in his Hall of Fame speech. “We had our priorities straight,” the 46-year-old mentioned before adding, “We never let our egos get in the way”. Joking about how Parker used to get his way “most of the time,” the shooting guard declared, “We got the job done”.
So, the mutual respect between the champions remains evident to this date. This showcases the unspoken side of the field of competitive sports as certain connections last forever.
