TP interview 03/31/09

[Brazil]

« A records’ week »
Didn't see posted



Player of the week in the Western Conference, 26th point guard in the history of the NBA to score more than 10,000 points throughout a career. What a week for you !
It was a contrasting week. Very good for me but a bit worse for the Spurs with this loss Sunday in New Orleans. It is too bad as we had managed to win in Atlanta a few days earlier without Tim Duncan and with Manu Ginobili who was just getting back in the game following a few weeks off. We would have liked to surf on this and get another nice win on the road but we did not play well enough in the last five minutes of the game to win a game that tasted like the playoffs.



What is tough is that you cannot take it easy before the start of the playoffs on April 18th as the Western Conference ranking is so dense that each and every game is important.
With our loss at Oklahoma City two weeks ago and the losses at home against Houston and Boston, we put ourselves in this position we are in today. We had a nice four games cushion over the third team in the conference and now we only have one game over Denver. We do not have the choice anymore and we must battle extremely hard until the end of the season to keep our spot. Some big games are ahead of us like Cleveland on Sunday. The Cavaliers are difficult to maneuver at home but we have to believe.



With the energy you put out during each games in recent weeks, aren’t you afraid to be a bit tired when the playoffs come ?
No, not at all. I am extremely proud to show what I can do and when I hear Tim Duncan says that I deserve a spot in the Top 5 of the voting for the season MVP it touches me. I try to carry my team to the best of my abilities with all the injuries that plagued the group but I am also being realistic, if we want to win the NBA title Duncan and Ginobili must be at 100%. Without them we could not make it happen.



10 000 points in your career; any thoughts about this ?
When they told me this I tried to envision what it meant but 10,000 points is a lot. When a journalist told me that I was the 26th guard in the history of the NBA to move past this gap I then realized that I was walking into closed society. What is even better is that not only this but to think that after Georges Gervin, David Robinson and Tim Duncan I am fourth Spurs’ player to reach this total. Just by looking at these names I realize what this means. It was a records’ week as I became the first Spurs to score 30 points with 10 assists in back to back games (30 points and 10 assists against Golden State, 42 points and 10 assists the following day against Atlanta). All these personal achievement were spoiled by the loss at New Orleans.


Could we image at the end of the season you being named in one of the league’s best team ?
Why not ? It would be a first for me and a true achievement to be amongst the fifteen best players in the NBA. It is everything but an objective for. The journalist will decide but for me apart from playing well there is not much I can do.

[xtremesteven33]

Parker doesnt much enjoy humble pie

[Spurs Brazil]

10 000 points in your career; any thoughts about this ?
When they told me this I tried to envision what it meant but 10,000 points is a lot. When a journalist told me that I was the 26th guard in the history of the NBA to move past this gap I then realized that I was walking into closed society.

Monroe telling TP wrong things :nope

[it's me]

I am also being realistic, if we want to win the NBA title Duncan and Ginobili must be at 100%. Without them we could not make it happen.





Poor ducks ......from his own hero.

[Lebowski Brickowski]

we have to believe

Hollah! Shout out to ST.

[bdictjames]

You cannot make a French person humble I guess.

[DAF86]

You cannot make a French person humble I guess.

Ouch!

[spursfan09]

Or words and meaning get lost in translation :wow

[Pauleta14]

You cannot make a French person humble I guess.

:lol

How many times do we (french posters) need to tell you that we (french) think (thought) that his "non-humble" way of speaking comes from his american roots !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[LoneStarState'sPride]

Parker doesnt much enjoy humble pie

After 3 NBA titles, a Finals MVP, and crossing the 10,000 point barrier, if this is the most hubris we see from TP, he's more than deserving of it. I'm more inclined to agree with the French posters, though. It's remarkable how easy it is to come across as arrogant or insensitive when communicating in a language other than your native tongue.

[will_spurs]

I really don't see the problem here (well actually I see the problem and it's all the TP haters). In an interview focusing on him and his achievements he keeps talking about the team, how his teammate have to be healthy and how the personal achievements are spoiled by the loss to NO. What more do you want?

[Pentagruel]

I really don't see the problem here (well actually I see the problem and it's all the TP haters). In an interview focusing on him and his achievements he keeps talking about the team, how his teammate have to be healthy and how the personal achievements are spoiled by the loss to NO. What more do you want?



Amen to that.

[kace]

Parker doesnt much enjoy humble pie


actually, in this interview, i found him rather humble:



I try to carry my team to the best of my abilities with all the injuries that plagued the group but I am also being realistic, if we want to win the NBA title Duncan and Ginobili must be at 100%. Without them we could not make it happen.


All these personal achievement were spoiled by the loss at New Orleans.

It is everything but an objective for me. (don't know if that means the same but indeed, he said "anything but an objective"


anyway, he could be straight and cocky in some interviews but here, i don't think so much.

[xtremesteven33]

actually, in this interview, i found him rather humble
anyway, he could be straight and cocky in some interviews but here, i don't think so much.


Parker is a cocky arrogant dude...believe me....

[kace]

Parker is a cocky arrogant dude...believe me....

so, i guess you know him personally...

[xtremesteven33]

so, i guess you know him personally...



no but from what i hear within the Spurs media and people who have met him personally....no he isnt a "jerk" but he does carry himself arrogantly.

[ducks]

he carries him better then jay cutler

[duncan228]

Thought I'd put this here too.

Winning wall.

http://www.nba.com/media/spurs/wallpaper_090403_1024.jpg

[TheDarkSide.]

I like Parker's honesty.

[RC's Boss]

I think the arogance provides a nice balance on the team. Hopefully Mason will get his mojo back, b/c he seems like a good shit talker.

[ElNono]

no but from what i hear within the Spurs media and people who have met him personally....no he isnt a "jerk" but he does carry himself arrogantly.

I have met him personally, and had the fortune to cross paths with him twice. I can say he was not arrogant at all with my wife and me. He is more of a reserved guy when you compare him with somebody like Manu, but he was nice with us.

[spursfan1000]

Even though this is not what the thread is about congrats to Tony Parker for reaching a mile stone at 10,000 points.

[ThaiFanofSpurs]

I really don't see the problem here (well actually I see the problem and it's all the TP haters). In an interview focusing on him and his achievements he keeps talking about the team, how his teammate have to be healthy and how the personal achievements are spoiled by the loss to NO. What more do you want?

Agree!

[ThaiFanofSpurs]

I don't know if it's just me. But I always think that the Big Three think of each other like they are brothers. I think Tim and Manu think of Tony as their youngest brother (I hope I am right.) If Tim and Manu can like Tony, I think Tony must be a very decent person to like since Tim and Manu are always very humble.

[Bambililos]

I don't think you can say Parker is arrogant. His greatest strength in the game, even more so than his quickness is his unfathomable belief that he can always get better.
That's why he came as an average PG at 19, and got better year after year, and will be better still in a couple years. This self-confidence leads him to pass as cocky in interviews, but having met with him a couple times, I think I can say he doesn't try to look better than he is, he just wants te be realistic and keep working on every aspect of his game.

About "French cockyness", I must say I am little astonished, just like other French posters here. Haven't you noticed that there are always 2 or 3 players in the League every year to claim they are the best in the League. That they deserve more recognition, more money, more fame etc... They are usually American.
So, yes TP is very outspoken, but you won't find this trend in many other French sportsmen. Think about Boris Diaw, Mickael Pietrus or Ronny Turiaf for example.

[holcs50]

LOL-dude watching TP over the years and hearing him in interviews you can tell he might be a little arrogant.....so what???? I see it more as confidence, but honestly would you not be confident in your abilities after he's done what he's done at age 26? Lets not forget pulling in a hot piece of ass like Longoria!
Point is he IS the spurs most valuable commodity going into the future and will carry this team for years to come after TD gets a bit older. As of right now though he has really carried this team this year-there's no question about it. Lets also not forget he's still improving and just about to hit his prime 27-31 or so. He will be here when TD is long gone if the spurs aren't dumb and let him get away. I still dont understand why a lot of spurs fans like to hate on him...just doesn't make any sense now days ( i mean i have to admit I used to get so pissed off when he would bring his no confident 2 point playoff games a few years back, but thats long gone). Parks the man even tho he is french....hahaha, j/k kind of.

[romain.star]

can someone please quote an arrogant or cocky sentence in this interview???????

[Kamnik]

can someone please quote an arrogant or cocky sentence in this interview???????

my thoughts exactly! :wow

I dont understand where people see cocky/arrogant statements from him.... in the worse case scenarion he is being realistic.

[Pauleta14]

LOL-dude watching TP over the years and hearing him in interviews you can tell he might be a little arrogant.....so what???? I see it more as confidence, but honestly would you not be confident in your abilities after he's done what he's done at age 26? Lets not forget pulling in a hot piece of ass like Longoria!
Point is he IS the spurs most valuable commodity going into the future and will carry this team for years to come after TD gets a bit older. As of right now though he has really carried this team this year-there's no question about it. Lets also not forget he's still improving and just about to hit his prime 27-31 or so. He will be here when TD is long gone if the spurs aren't dumb and let him get away. I still dont understand why a lot of spurs fans like to hate on him...just doesn't make any sense now days ( i mean i have to admit I used to get so pissed off when he would bring his no confident 2 point playoff games a few years back, but thats long gone). Parks the man even tho he is french....hahaha, j/k kind of.

:lol:lol:lol

The guy has played 117 PO games!!!!
I don't even remember these 2pts games you are refering...
Funny that even when you take tp's defense, you manage to give shitty infos about him...:lol
His averages are up when come PO...
Even people who trash him about the 03 finals forgot how great he was overall against Kidd.
When I read the tp haters, it's almost as if Speedy(?) Claxton deserved more the title than him...:rollin