When Tony Parker was traded to the Charlotte Hornets, there was a sense of disappointment among the Spurs fans who wanted to see him retire there. However, his wish to play for another year turned out to be a great decision in the end. Parker got the opportunity to play for his idol Michael Jordan and learn about the business of basketball.
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During an appearance on the Knuckleheads Podcast, he said that leaving San Antonio was hard because he also wanted to finish his career as a Spur. And although he couldn’t end his career the way he wanted to, there are no hard feelings.
However, the perk from that change was that Parker was now playing for his idol’s franchise. He said, “I was going into a situation where I was going to play for my idol. So, that’s how I became friends with Michael and spent more time with MJ. So, that was a great experience.” At the time, back in 2018, Jordan was the majority owner of the Hornets.
Even though Parker only played for MJ’s franchise for a season, he developed a friendship with the legend. During his time in Charlotte, not only was he trying to contribute to the franchise on the court, but also was trying to learn how to run a basketball team. He said, “Everything that I learned with MJ, it helped me for my new career now, in the business world.”
Parker is the owner of ASVEL Basket, which is now known as LDLC ASVEL in the EuroLeague. As for his relationship with the Spurs, Parker has nothing but gratitude for Gregg Popovich and the Spurs as they gave him an opportunity to showcase his talent. Parker said, “No hard feelings with Pop and the organization because they’re the one who gave me a chance when I was 19 years old. So, it’s no way that I’ll be mad at them. Never.”
He wanted to play for a few more years, but the organization had its sights on the future and was committed to developing young players. Since he couldn’t strike out a deal with the Spurs, Parker had to look for teams who were willing to give him a chance. He signed a two-year contract with the Hornets in July 2018 and announced his retirement from the game in June 2019.
