fred33
08-23-2006, 01:10 AM
Spurs' Parker one hit from surgery
Web Posted: 08/22/2006 11:06 PM CDT
Johnny Ludden
Express-News Staff Writer
France produced Tony Parker. The Spurs made him rich and famous. In a perfect world — or at least one without broken index fingers — Parker would like to keep both happy.
Still, there are times, Parker concedes, when he must choose between the loyalty he has to his country and the professional obligation he owes his employer. Last week, however, wasn't one of those times.
After breaking his right index finger in France's final tuneup game before the world championships, Parker dropped out of the tournament to return to San Antonio and have the injury examined by the Spurs' medical staff. The decision, he said Tuesday, wasn't much of a decision.
"It was a no-brainer," Parker said. "Even if I tried to play, I couldn't do nothing. I can't pass. I can't shoot. I can't dribble.
"It's not that I don't want to play. I can't play."
Parker said X-rays taken Monday during an examination by Spurs doctors revealed that the bone had shifted some since his finger was initially X-rayed in Japan late last week. Parker will have to wear a splint on the finger for at least four weeks to keep it immobilized.
Spurs physician David Schmidt "told me if I get hit again on the finger, I'll probably need surgery," Parker said.
Cleveland guard Larry Hughes was sidelined for three months last season after having surgery to repair his broken right middle finger. Spurs coach Gregg Popovich, Parker said, "would kill me if I hurt it again and had to miss three months."
The Spurs begin training camp in France in a little less than six weeks, and Parker is hopeful he'll be ready by then. Because the fracture is on his shooting hand, he won't be able to work much with shooting coach Chip Engelland until the splint is removed.
"I'm just going to try to stay in shape, do my maintenance and get some rhythm when I can," Parker said. "I may be a little rusty for the first few days, but hopefully that won't last long."
Parker said French officials wanted him to try to play with a cast on his finger. Parker was open to the idea until he tried practicing and struggled to shoot. His finger, he said, hurt considerably.
"What's the point at playing at 50 percent?" he said. "I would be hurting the team more than helping it. For me, it wasn't a hard decision."
In an interview with France's sports daily, "L'Equipe," last week, Parker was quoted as saying he decided not to play, in part, because he was fearful the Spurs would prevent their 2005 first-round pick, Ian Mahinmi, from competing for the French national team in the future.
Spurs officials "were shouting at me: 'TP you are crazy. You are not being reasonable. You can't play with a broken finger!'" Parker said in the interview. "Had I played they could really have got on the back of the French national team, not just me, but as regards to Ian Mahinmi, for example, as well."
Parker said Tuesday he didn't mention Mahinmi and was only trying to express the importance of maintaining a good relationship between Spurs officials and France's national team.
"There are going to be a lot more (international) competitions," Parker said. "Almost all of us on the team are 24, 25, 26. We will get more chances to play together."
In the meantime, Parker said he will continue to follow his French teammates at the World Championships. He's considering returning to Japan to watch if France advances to the quarterfinals, but the 15-hour flight might prove to be too much of a determent.
"I wish I could play, but I can't," Parker said. "I can't do anything. This just sucks."
Web Posted: 08/22/2006 11:06 PM CDT
Johnny Ludden
Express-News Staff Writer
France produced Tony Parker. The Spurs made him rich and famous. In a perfect world — or at least one without broken index fingers — Parker would like to keep both happy.
Still, there are times, Parker concedes, when he must choose between the loyalty he has to his country and the professional obligation he owes his employer. Last week, however, wasn't one of those times.
After breaking his right index finger in France's final tuneup game before the world championships, Parker dropped out of the tournament to return to San Antonio and have the injury examined by the Spurs' medical staff. The decision, he said Tuesday, wasn't much of a decision.
"It was a no-brainer," Parker said. "Even if I tried to play, I couldn't do nothing. I can't pass. I can't shoot. I can't dribble.
"It's not that I don't want to play. I can't play."
Parker said X-rays taken Monday during an examination by Spurs doctors revealed that the bone had shifted some since his finger was initially X-rayed in Japan late last week. Parker will have to wear a splint on the finger for at least four weeks to keep it immobilized.
Spurs physician David Schmidt "told me if I get hit again on the finger, I'll probably need surgery," Parker said.
Cleveland guard Larry Hughes was sidelined for three months last season after having surgery to repair his broken right middle finger. Spurs coach Gregg Popovich, Parker said, "would kill me if I hurt it again and had to miss three months."
The Spurs begin training camp in France in a little less than six weeks, and Parker is hopeful he'll be ready by then. Because the fracture is on his shooting hand, he won't be able to work much with shooting coach Chip Engelland until the splint is removed.
"I'm just going to try to stay in shape, do my maintenance and get some rhythm when I can," Parker said. "I may be a little rusty for the first few days, but hopefully that won't last long."
Parker said French officials wanted him to try to play with a cast on his finger. Parker was open to the idea until he tried practicing and struggled to shoot. His finger, he said, hurt considerably.
"What's the point at playing at 50 percent?" he said. "I would be hurting the team more than helping it. For me, it wasn't a hard decision."
In an interview with France's sports daily, "L'Equipe," last week, Parker was quoted as saying he decided not to play, in part, because he was fearful the Spurs would prevent their 2005 first-round pick, Ian Mahinmi, from competing for the French national team in the future.
Spurs officials "were shouting at me: 'TP you are crazy. You are not being reasonable. You can't play with a broken finger!'" Parker said in the interview. "Had I played they could really have got on the back of the French national team, not just me, but as regards to Ian Mahinmi, for example, as well."
Parker said Tuesday he didn't mention Mahinmi and was only trying to express the importance of maintaining a good relationship between Spurs officials and France's national team.
"There are going to be a lot more (international) competitions," Parker said. "Almost all of us on the team are 24, 25, 26. We will get more chances to play together."
In the meantime, Parker said he will continue to follow his French teammates at the World Championships. He's considering returning to Japan to watch if France advances to the quarterfinals, but the 15-hour flight might prove to be too much of a determent.
"I wish I could play, but I can't," Parker said. "I can't do anything. This just sucks."