When it comes to the San Antonio Spurs, there is no doubt that Tony Parker understands what he is talking about. It should come as no surprise that the four-time NBA champion stated on Friday to The Associated Press that he believes fellow Frenchman Victor Wembanyama has a bright future playing for the team he formerly played for.
Tony Parker, now retired, spent his whole career with the Spurs. He played there for 17 seasons. He is highly knowledgeable about the franchise because he was a part of the team that won the NBA championship in 2003, 2005, 2007, and 2014. In a phone interview with the Associated Press, he stated that it would be the “perfect place” for the 19-year-old French prodigy who was selected first overall in the NBA draft.
“I know he wanted to go to San Antonio, and so it feels like it was destiny, with the French connection we built over the years,” Tony Parker said. “It feels like it was destiny, with the French connection we built in San Antonio.” And he is the one who will carry on the family tradition. It’s a reasonably neat thing to do.”
The Spurs ultimately decided to go with Wembanyama, a player who has been generating high expectations in the French league. According to his listing, he was 7 feet 4 inches tall. In his final season with Metropolitans 92, he dominated the competition by leading all players in scoring, rebounding, and blocked shots.
He has incredible technical ability, despite the fact that he has a massive physique, and he can make three-point shots with ease.
“He is unique,” Tony Parker remarked. “His set of skills is unique. You know, we never saw a man, a 7-5 (player) shooting like that, and having the dribbling abilities that he has, and the way that he plays the game, it is simply unusual from anything else we have seen. “I’m looking forward to seeing him play for the Spurs.”
Wembanyama, a former player for the French club Villeurbanne, and Tony Parker, the majority owner of Villeurbanne, have a positive working relationship. Wembanyama played for Villeurbanne in the past.
“So when the Spurs got the lottery pick, we talked, exchanged texts, and it was the same last night,” Tony Parker said. “So when the Spurs got the lottery pick, we talked, exchanged texts.” “I couldn’t be happier for him, and you can be sure that I’ll do everything in my power to back him up.”
When asked what type of guidance he would provide Wembanyama for a speedy adaptation to the Spurs and the NBA, Tony Parker responded that the kid needs to be himself to make the transition as smoothly as possible.
“And he is already like that,” answered Parker in response. “He does not care about the pressure and expectation, and I think the Spurs is the perfect place for him to play because the Spurs is the perfect place for him.” He is in the care of competent people.”
After matching a league record with 22 consecutive visits in the postseason, San Antonio has failed to qualify for the postseason for the past four seasons, which is the longest playoff drought in the franchise’s history of 50 years. Tony Parker is optimistic that the addition of Wembanyama will contribute to the revitalization of a competitive team.
“That’s a good first piece,” he commented after reading it. “He is going to need some assistance at this point because winning a championship in the NBA is the most challenging thing you will ever have to accomplish. Therefore, for the Spurs to be able to compete for a championship, there is a great deal of work that needs to be done right now to gather components around him that are going to fit.
Parker, a former player for the French national basketball team, won the FIBA Europe Player of the Year award in 2013 and 2014 and was the leading scorer in the league in 2011 and 2013.
Tony Parker believes France will also profit from Wembanyama’s ascent to the top.
“It’s great for basketball, and it’s great for French basketball,” Parker added. “It is abundantly clear that the years ahead for us with the national team hold great promise.”
