Parker not satisfied

[Pistons < Spurs]

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/dailydime?page=dailydime-060408-09


SPECIAL WEEKEND EDITION Enjoying life in the fast lane

Editor's note: ESPN.com senior NBA writer Marc Stein supplies each item for this around-the-league notebook edition of the Daily Dime.

No one really catches up with Tony Parker. Not this season.

Moving faster than ever, and finally shaking what even he describes as "my not being consistent," Parker has already realized one goal with his season-long flurry of layups.

"The challenge," he told me back in December, "is to do this for the whole year."

It started early and has lasted for 75 games. We've gotten only occasional looks at Parker's improving jump shot because he continues to rack up points in the paint at a ridiculous rate for a point guard.

Yet when you ask Parker to stop and sit down for a chat, you learn that the Frenchman -- who also has managed somehow to domesticate a "Desperate Housewives" wild child -- isn't terribly impressed by all this. He confesses a need to do this throughout the playoffs, too, to validate his rise to All-Star status.

For himself.

Parker hasn't forgotten his late-round struggles in the past three postseasons ... or the Spurs' flirtations with Jason Kidd before awarding him a six-year, $66 million contract ... or the fact that San Antonio failed in its first two attempts to repeat as NBA champion.

"There's still another level to this," Parker says.

He spoke openly about his plans to get there in a recent chat in Los Angeles. Nine highlights of that conversation with No. 9:

Parker on how closely the Spurs have followed the Mavericks in the chase for the West's No. 1 seed:

"Every day. Basically every day. Every day we talk about Dallas and see what they did the game before, how they're playing, what's the ranking, are we still ahead? It's just fun. It's a good race."

On which of the two Texas rivals needs home-court advantage more in their forthcoming second-round showdown:

"I think Dallas. We proved in the past that we can win big games on the road. ... [Spurs coach Gregg Popovich] always says, 'If we get it, fine.' But the main thing for us is that we stay healthy. If we can stay healthy, I think we can win big games on the road."

On being described by Popovich and Tim Duncan as San Antonio's most consistent player after four up-and-down seasons:

"I think I'm just getting more mature. I think that's the only reason. I know everybody now. I feel comfortable in the system. I feel comfortable with Pop. I just knew that, after we won the championship last year, the next level for me was the All-Star level. ... The Spurs, they didn't know if I can go to that next level. So I wanted to show them that they can have a lot of confidence in me, that I was not satisfied with my contract or [that] we've got two championships. I wanted to get their respect as a player."

On improving his jump shot with new shooting coach Chip Engelland:

"It's going to be a learning process. I did a lot of good stuff this year, I still think I can do better to try to get to that Chauncey Billups level or that Steve Nash level. That's where I want to get and that's going to take, I think, three or four years. So when I'll be 26 or 27, I think that's when my shot's going to mature. But I feel more comfortable. Every shot I'm taking at least has a chance to make it."

[b]On whether people forget that he's only 23:

"I think even Pop sometimes forgets. They want me to improve so fast, and sometimes you can't go [faster than] experience. Pop did a great job with me, pushing me when I first came, [at] 19, being hard on me. So now we're seeing the results of it."

[b]On how much he still has to prove to himself in the playoffs after poor showings in the late stages of San Antonio's last three postseason runs:

"There's always a lot of people [who are] going to criticize me for what I did . ... I know a lot of people can't wait to see if I'm going to do the same thing I did in [past] playoffs. And I'll be ready. It's a good challenge for me."

[b]On how much pressure the Spurs feel to win their first back-to-back championships after failing to do so twice before:

"I think Pop, he just told us right at the beginning [of the season], 'We need to repeat.' We're the only team that won a championship [that] didn't repeat, basically."

On how much grief he gets from teammates for the tabloid coverage of his relationship with Eva Longoria:

"My teammates never say nothing. They never tease me. They see her [all the] time, so they don't care that she travels with us. We're one of the only teams in the NBA [that] lets us travel with wives or girlfriends. They all talk to her, so they know she's not a crazy woman."

On his ability to shrug at the increased scrutiny that comes with his newfound celebrity ... on and off the floor:

"How do you want me to complain? I got a great life. Great basketball team, great teammates, winning championships and a great girlfriend. I can't complain."

[ducks]

good read thanks

[Pistons < Spurs]

Also found this on the same page:




One more question for No. 9: How far away from 100 percent is Tim Duncan?

"I think he's getting better and better," Tony Parker says. "The last couple games, he started dunking again. I think he's feeling better. I'd say he's, like, 85 percent. I don't see him going as fast as he used to with his pump fakes and when he's doing his moves. But I think he's improving. I think he's starting to get in playoff mode."

Actually...

We've got one more: Can San Antonio win it all if Duncan, plagued by a season-long bout with plantar fasciitis, is only 85 percent?

"That's a tough question," Parker said. "We need Timmy. We're going nowhere if Timmy's not 100 percent. If he's 85 percent, I don't know. It's going to be tough."

Duncan's 11 points and six rebounds in Wednesday's loss to Sacramento marked the sixth time this season that he was held below 15 points and 10 boards in a game in which he logged at least 30 minutes. It happened to Duncan only once in the five previous seasons.

Of course, as the Spurs are relieved to know, there are no back-to-backs in the playoffs, and Duncan's troubles are generally seen in the second half of back-to-backs.

[atxrocker]

oh crap, read 'Parker living life in the fast lane' and thought this thread was related to his well noted incident with cops in san antonio with his classless broad from the streets of corpus, eva, who talked down about mexicans to the hispanic cop,when Tony almost ran someone over. what a dissapointment.

[leemajors]

eva is hispanic, from corpus christi, texas.

[atxrocker]

i know she is hispanic. maybe she doesn't. she is a trick from the streets of corpus with looks and money, reported she said something to the effect in arrogance that "the mexican cop just wants your autograph" to tony. talk about forgetting where you came from!

[phyzik]

i know she is hispanic. maybe she doesn't. she is a trick from the streets of corpus with looks and money, reported she said something to the effect in arrogance that "the mexican cop just wants your autograph" to tony. talk about forgetting where you came from!

talk about ignorance you mean...... try thinking for yourself instead of what the TV says you should think.

I'll leave it to someone else to explain what happened.

[ShoogarBear]

Thanks for giving us the real lowdown on that whole Eva thing with the San Antonio cops.

[atxrocker]

^you will leave it to someone else to explain because..uh.. said person was there 1st hand to confirm none of these comments were made?

Tony is that you?

[lil'mo]

i know tony personally bitch and that shit didnt go down like that

[atxrocker]

i know tony personally bitch and that shit didnt go down like that


:lol :lol :lol

[T Park]

lol

another jealous Evan Longoria hater....

[atxrocker]

dont know who evan is but im not jealous at all. just stating EVA is a classless broad from the streets who forgets herself

[T Park]

just stating EVA is a classless broad from the streets who forgets herself

So you know her personally?

shut the pie hole.

[atxrocker]

So you know her personally?

shut the pie hole.

DO YOU? you can vouch for her character cause shes fucking Parker? what a fuckin homer. you shut your fuckin sewer.

[T Park]

I can vouch for her, due to some people I know who know her.

Are you from Sacramento??

If so not suprising.

Im sure youll show your picture and youll be white with multiple tatoos tribal ear spacers and a hick accent complaining about your govt job.

[SequSpur]

:lol at sewer.

Parker is a hall of famer. The best spur ever.

[Spurologist]

DO YOU? you can vouch for her character cause shes fucking Parker? what a fuckin homer. you shut your fuckin sewer.

Did you fuckin forget to wipe your ass or something. If you don't know shit about someone shut it. Your queens didn't get the job done after they were leading by what. 17?? That's too bad. If you want to vent, go to one of your Queenie boards and discuss. Thank You.

[SequSpur]

How many of you all smoke pot? Just wondering.

[atxrocker]

some people you know who know her huh? a friend of a cousin of a sister of a neighbor of an aunt of a fuckin store clerk or something? I call bullshit on that one, homeboy. from sac town? nope. from ocean side/san diego area. living in austin. not surprising you couldnt be more wrong about my appearance either.. white? hardly, try hispanic. hick accent, fuck you, your the goddamn texan so fuck off. hope your more on point about your assessment of that whore eva than you think you are of me. :lol

[atxrocker]

Did you fuckin forget to wipe your ass or something. If you don't know shit about someone shut it. Your queens didn't get the job done after they were leading by what. 17?? That's too bad. If you want to vent, go to one of your Queenie boards and discuss. Thank You.

hey man, nice way to um... totally change the fucking subject. whatever. fuck off.

[SequSpur]

Not to be an asswipe... but Eva is Tony Parker's girl and I don't think it's fucking cool for people to come in here calling her names.

I think that is bullshit. She is a very successful, talented Texan. I just ain't down with calling any player's wife or girl a whore or something like that.

Bullshit.

[T Park]

some people you know who know her huh? a friend of a cousin of a sister of a neighbor of an aunt of a fuckin store clerk or something? I call bullshit on that one, homeboy. from sac town? nope. from ocean side/san diego area. living in austin. not surprising you couldnt be more wrong about my appearance either.. white? hardly, try hispanic. hick accent, fuck you, your the goddamn texan so fuck off. hope your more on point about your assessment of that whore eva than you think you are of m

californian.

Same thing.

You all uppity shit heads are all the same.

Get the fuck out of texas.

[atxrocker]

Not to be an asswipe... but Eva is Tony Parker's girl and I don't think it's fucking cool for people to come in here calling her names.

I think that is bullshit. She is a very successful, talented Texan. I just ain't down with calling any player's wife or girl a whore or something like that.

Bullshit.

I respect your opinion. if there was not ammunition for such opinions of her I would completely agree. unfortunately last i checked there isen't a longoria spurs jersey. she doesn't play for the spurs. even if she did that would not exclude her from being critisized. maybe if you were the cop she talked down to you would understand.

[atxrocker]

californian.

Same thing.

You all uppity shit heads are all the same.

Get the fuck out of texas.


:lol :lol
does this really dignify further response?

[atxrocker]

[QUOTE=T Park]You all uppity shit heads are all the same.
QUOTE]

wait, hold on.. is that what EVA personally told you since you are such close friends with her? :lol

[SequSpur]

I respect your opinion. if there was not ammunition for such opinions of her I would completely agree. unfortunately last i checked there isen't a longoria spurs jersey. she doesn't play for the spurs. even if she did that would not exclude her from being critisized. maybe if you were the cop she talked down to you would understand.

This forum is not your avenue to come here and call player's wifes/girls etc. names. Do you understand that?

If you want to do that, why don't you show up to the ATT center and wait outside for them.

Again, I totally disagree with your significant other namecalling.

Keep it to the Spurstalk or ridiculing Tpark.

[atxrocker]

easy,easy now. calm down for a second. i didn't know comments about players love interests were taken so personally on this site. i had to put up with shit about Doug Christies wife Jackie forever and never pouted about it. take it with a grain of salt. shit, you would think we were talking about one of your relatives in this motherfucker or something. holy crap. seems like this forum can dish it out but not take it in return. dont take these things so personally.

GO KINGS!!

[SequSpur]

easy,easy now. calm down for a second. i didn't know comments about players love interests were taken so personally on this site. i had to put up with shit about Doug Christies wife Jackie forever and never pouted about it. take it with a grain of salt. shit, you would think we were talking about one of your relatives in this motherfucker or something. holy crap. seems like this forum can dish it out but not take it in return. dont take these things so personally.

GO KINGS!!

Dish what out? You calling Eva a whore is cool? How is that cool Mr. Kings fan?

Is that your m.o. to come her and talk shit about Parker's girl? Is there a topic here about Doug Christie's wife? I don't think so.

Dude, go back to your Kings forum bro. It that's what you jack off to then go do it.

[atxrocker]

hey, sequ.. maybe i was off base. sorry. I mean to be a gentleman. the whole 'jack off' thing is a big inappropriate but evens stevens, huh? i post here cause i really like this forum actually. very adult oriented, which i dig. look, we can agree to disagree in regards to Eva, my opinion may be a bit skewed. while obviously NOT a spurs fan I rather enjoy this site for its format and topics. please accept my apologies.

[SequSpur]

Of course..

I just think player's significant others and families is off limits. Some here may think differently.

dunno.

[Solid D]

I remember watching the DVR replay when Eva and Tony were on Oprah. That's what it takes for me to see or record an Oprah show. I remember it talked about how they grew up in a fairly modest to low income status. They didn't have air conditioning ever until after Eva became famous and she built them a home and decorated it in a Mexican style so that her parents would feel at home. She didn't grow up in the "streets". She grew up in a simple ranch type setting, from what I understand.

It's obvious Eva is a Hollywood Latina now and very wealthy because of her beauty and some acting skills, I guess, but you know - she's still a smart kid who grew up with normal parents who sacrificed for their children. Eva has a college degree to go with her fame and good looks and she's more than an average Spurs fan, even before she hooked up with Parker, so I don't really associate her with some sort of low-life harlot. I don't support the show she co-stars on, nor it's premise, but I don't have any heartburn about her as a person. I don't get the impression she's forgotten her roots just because she allegedly said the word "Mexican". Besides, in South Texas, Latinos or Mexicans can talk about other "Mexicans". It's not necessarily such a big deal.

[Kori Ellis]

How the hell did this thread turn into bashing/defending Eva? :wtf

And yes, you shouldn't be bashing Eva here in the Spurs forum. I wouldn't let you start a thread bashing Tim's wife; so bashing Eva is the same thing IMO.

There's plenty of rumor-based threads about her in The Club where you can post your (irrational) opinions about her.

[Obstructed_View]

Just for the record, a friend of mine has a minor recurring role on DH and says Eva is extremely cool. Of course, they are both from Texas. They may not like prissy little cocksmoking fucktards from northern California.

[sanman53]

Are we really the only team to not repeat as champs?

[pache100]

oh crap, read 'Parker living life in the fast lane' and thought this thread was related to his well noted incident with cops in san antonio with his classless broad from the streets of corpus, eva, who talked down about mexicans to the hispanic cop,when Tony almost ran someone over. what a dissapointment.

What a sour-grapes disappointment your post is. If you look up "load of crap" in the dictionary, you will find your post. Can you not just acknowledge a humble, grounded, intelligent, gifted, savvy young man who happens to play for the Spurs? Just once?

You just cancelled any meaning that anything you have to say in the future would have for me. I'm sure you don't care, though.

[Slo spurs fan]

Are we really the only team to not repeat as champs?
GTFO with this question, it is waaaaaaaaaaay off topic right now!


























j/k :lol

[ShoogarBear]

Are we really the only team to not repeat as champs?

Not after this year.

No, Detroit obviously didn't repeat from 04.

But since the Lakers threepeat back in the early 80-90s, every team except the 99 and 03 Spurs and the 04 Pistons has repeated.

[Solid D]

Repeating as champions = What?

Every year you hear different standards of legitimacy. It's actually rather humorous how human nature works, sort of like - when does a person become "wealthy" or "successful".

I've heard comments like, it's never a true dynasty until a team repeats a championship...as a first step.

4 Rings

5 Rings

More than a 2-peat.

No dynasty recognized with someone named RAAAASSSSHHHHHOOOOO on that team. :lol

Etc....

That's the way of the fickle, you ain't done jack own world some people live in.

Can a team from San Antonio ever be considered a dynasty?

[greyforest]

i have no idea how eva acts, but her ego doesn't seem too huge. whenever they show her sitting in the crowd at games, she is 90% of the time chatting to whoever is sitting next to her.

[Oh, Gee!!]

Eva doesn't play for the spurs, wtf are ya'll defending her?

[pache100]

Eva doesn't play for the spurs, wtf are ya'll defending her?

She hasn't done anything to deserve all the hate, either...WTF NOT defend her?

[Oh, Gee!!]

She hasn't done anything to deserve all the hate, either...WTF NOT defend her?


are you this humorless in real life?

[ChumpDumper]

Not repeating is really the last line of defense for the Spurhater - we've proven them wrong on everything else.

And Eva shouldn't be immune from comment just because she's with Tony. She is a public figure and was before Tony. But please keep it in the Club.

[pache100]

are you this humorless in real life?

Gee, I don't know...ARE YOU?!?!?!?!?!?!? (what a jackass thing to say to someone for expressing an opinion.)

[ShoogarBear]

Yeah, but Solid D, you gotta admit that not repating is a sore point around here, since so many other teams were able to do it.

Granted, Larry Bird never repeated. But members of teams that did repeat are usually on record are saying that it's much, much harder and therefore much, much more rewarding.

And it's the only thing in Tim's resume that hasn't been fulfilled. He does this and he will have every base covered in the argument for Greatest Forward of All Time.

[Oh, Gee!!]

Gee, I don't know...ARE YOU?!?!?!?!?!?!? (what a jackass thing to say to someone for expressing an opinion.)

I think it's obvious that I'm NOT!!!!

[pache100]

I think it's obvious that I'm NOT!!!!

http://i2.tinypic.com/ve6g5v.gif

[Solid D]

And it's the only thing in Tim's resume that hasn't been fulfilled. He does this and he will have every base covered in the argument for Greatest Forward of All Time.

Until he does it, then there will be someone saying..."yeah but ..."

[SequSpur]

Not repeating is really the last line of defense for the Spurhater - we've proven them wrong on everything else.

And Eva shouldn't be immune from comment just because she's with Tony. She is a public figure and was before Tony. But please keep it in the Club.

So the Club is the place to call eva a whore?

Great, nothing like going uphill from here.

[ChumpDumper]

So the Club is the place to call eva a whore?Pretty much, if that's your thing.

[atxrocker]

What a sour-grapes disappointment your post is. If you look up "load of crap" in the dictionary, you will find your post. Can you not just acknowledge a humble, grounded, intelligent, gifted, savvy young man who happens to play for the Spurs? Just once?

You just cancelled any meaning that anything you have to say in the future would have for me. I'm sure you don't care, though.

Tony is a cool guy, I actually like him. but i cant help but think you were choking the monkey when you wrote this declaration of love about him. and no, I dont care whether my posts lost their 'meaning' to you or not. still, my position hasn't changed and my respect for eva is still in the trash, like her.

[ShoogarBear]

Until he does it, then there will be someone saying..."yeah but ..."

*shrug*

Nitpickers do that now about Jordan.

The fact is that Tim has a chance to be the consensus (not unanimous, obviously) Greatest Forward Ever by the time he retires. Vanishingly few are ever afforded this chance. Winning B2B rings would cinch it.