Tony Parker
Belgian-born basketball star Tony Parker was born William Anthony Parker, II on May 17, 1982 in Bruges, Belgium. Although he was born in Belgium, Parker, who retains French citizenship, was raised in America. Parker’s father, Tony Parker Sr. was an African-American pro-basketball player; and his younger brothers, TJ and Pierre both play basketball.
At seventeen years old, Parker began playing in the French championship for Paris ’ official basketball team, the Paris Basket Racing team. In 2000, he won the European under 20 championship, and was elected MVP of the tournament. One year later, Parker became the second French player ever to play in an NBA game, joining the San Antonio Spurs to face off against the Los Angeles Clippers. Parker also became the Spurs’ youngest NBA player, at just 19 years old.
As a starting point guard on the team, Parker assisted the Spurs in taking home the 2003 NBA championship, defeating the New Jersey Nets four games to two in the Finals. The Spurs took home the championship again two years later, defeating defending champions the Detroit Pistons four games to three in the Finals.
On January 20, 2006, Parker set a career record of 38 points during the Spurs victory over the Miami Heat. One month later, Parker was chosen as a reserve guard for the Western Conference in the 2006 NBA All-Star Game in Houston, Texas ; and is considered one of the leading point guards in the league. Despite his young age, Parker is already a playoff veteran. Before he turned 24, Parker had already played 67 playoff games – more than any other player.
In 2006, while playing for the San Antonio All-Star Shooting Stars team, Parker made the half-court shot on his first try and in record time, taking just 25.1 seconds. Also on the team were retired Spur, Steve Kerr, and Kendra Wecker from the San Antonio Silver Stars of the WNBA.
In recent years, Parker has been involved in a highly-publicized relationship with Desperate Housewives actress, Eva Longoria. In an interview with Allure magazine, Longoria implied that Parker lacked prowess in the bedroom, stating “Tony’s only been with one other person in his life. He’s very sweet.... I’m the experienced one. I’m the teacher, especially about love.” On November 30, 2006, Longoria called in to Ryan Seacrest’s radio show and announced her engagement to Parker.
In 2005, Parker made a foray into music, and began working on a French hip-hop album. The album’s first single, Top of the Game, was released in March of 2006, featuring rapper, Fabolous. |
