ducks
10-11-2006, 11:04 PM
Tony Parker IGN interview.
http://sports.ign.com/articles/738/738455p1.html
Tony Parker Interview
Spurs, speed, and NBA Live.
by Jon Robinson
October 11, 2006 - Tony Parker is walking the streets of Manhattan when he calls. I can hear buses in the background, fans screaming his name, and the hustle of rush hour foot traffic surround him as he tries to make his way back to the hotel.
It was right before he was to fly to France and join the Spurs for camp.
His finger had finally healed enough where he could not only get back to shooting and dribbling in the preseason, but get back to his favorite pastime (other than running from the paparazzi), and that's playing videogames.
Just how much of a gamer is the Spurs guard?
"I've been playing NBA Live since 1995 when it first came out. It's a great way to relax, and I have two brothers, so we're always competing."
But Parker's game rivals aren't limited to family, as the Spurs participate in some high-priced battles on the team plane.
"We have so many trips that we have a PS2 on the plane. A lot of teams do that in the NBA. It's a great way to compete, and there's always money involved. We bet not too small, usually like $300-$400 a game (of NBA Live). Make things exciting," explains Parker. "The most I ever lost was $500. It was a long ride."
Here's what else the Spurs sensation had to say about videogames and the upcoming season.
IGN Sports: Madden has the cover curse, but Live is the opposite now that Dwyane Wade won the title. What does this mean for the Spurs this year since you're featured on the Live cover in France?
Tony Parker: I was on the cover in 05 in France and we won the championship, so hopefully things repeat. I hope we can get back and win the championship again this year. It was a tough loss against Dallas, Game 7. Being down 20, coming back, then losing in overtime, it was a tough one to swallow. It gives us a lot of motivation for this year.
IGN Sports: I know my wife gets mad when I play too many videogames. Does Eva ever get frustrated with all the time you spend on the sticks?
Tony Parker: She gets mad sometimes because she wants me to spend more time with her in the afternoon or on her day off, but now she's more open with it. I'm pretty reasonable. I try to play when she's not there, that way she won't get mad. :lol
IGN Sports: How do you think your character looks in Live this year on the 360?
Tony Parker: The way they show emotion on the face just makes things seem more real. It's not just a name on a jersey anymore, that is my face in the game. And I love that they made me so fast in the game. Speed is my best attribute in the game.
IGN Sports: Is anyone in the NBA faster than you with the ball?
Tony Parker: There will always be people who argue for me or Iverson or TJ Ford. For me, speed isn't anything I ever practiced. It's all in the genes. Plus, my mom gave me a lot of vitamins when I was small. [laughs]
IGN Sports: One of the most amazing stats last year is when you were leading the league in points in the paint at 6-2. What's your key to going in there against all the big men and still coming away with a bucket?
Tony Parker: It's all about the tear drop. That's why I want to come in and do motion-capture next year for EA, so I can get that tear drop in the game. So many players want to go in and dunk, but when the defense runs up on you, one of the best ways to score is throwing the ball up and over the top. That's why the tear drop is more effective. It's a shot young players should work on.
IGN Sports: You've already played more playoff games than anyone your age has ever played in the history of the NBA. How has that helped elevate your game?
Tony Parker:. Experience is everything. It means so much because it enabled me to learn the game even faster. Playing in the playoffs is the best basketball in the world, and if you can learn under that pressure, succeed under that pressure, it gives you more confidence the next year. I was just lucky to go to a team good enough to go to the playoffs every year because it has really helped me evolve my game and be a better player over time.
IGN Sports: It also helps playing alongside someone like Tim Duncan. Can fans even appreciate everything he does out on the court to help the Spurs win on a nightly basis?
Tony Parker: San Antonio fans, for sure. The other fans around the league, I'm not so sure because he's such a quiet guy, he's shy and doesn't talk a lot, so I think to some fans, he doesn't get the respect he deserves. To me, the best thing about the way he plays is the fact that he makes all of his teammates better. He's so unselfish. He's not a superstar who wants to shoot 30 times a night.
Parker battles Nate Robinson at NBA Live 07.
IGN Sports: Is that what makes the Spurs special, the fact that you're playing team ball?
Tony Parker: Definitely. We're sharing. Everyone has a share of the ball. If someone is hot one night, they get the ball, there aren't egos involved. As long as we win, we're happy.
IGN Sports: How many are you going to win this year?
Tony Parker: Our goals are not changing, and that's to win the championship. We have the same goal every year, it's basically the same team, and now it's time to go back out there and take the title back.
Playing team basketball.
IGN Sports: Do you have a specific way to prepare to face the various point guards in the NBA?
Tony Parker: Watching tape is key. I basically watch every game. It's the only way to breakdown your opponents.
IGN Sports: Ever tried scouting opponents using NBA Live?
Tony Parker: When I was small, playing NBA Live, that's how I knew everyone in the NBA. That's how I learned about the players. They go so in-depth with the stats and ratings, it's a great way for people to learn about the players. For me, I'll stick to watching film…for now. [laughs] You never know, the way technology is going, we might all use the games for scouting by the time I retire.
http://sports.ign.com/articles/738/738455p1.html
Tony Parker Interview
Spurs, speed, and NBA Live.
by Jon Robinson
October 11, 2006 - Tony Parker is walking the streets of Manhattan when he calls. I can hear buses in the background, fans screaming his name, and the hustle of rush hour foot traffic surround him as he tries to make his way back to the hotel.
It was right before he was to fly to France and join the Spurs for camp.
His finger had finally healed enough where he could not only get back to shooting and dribbling in the preseason, but get back to his favorite pastime (other than running from the paparazzi), and that's playing videogames.
Just how much of a gamer is the Spurs guard?
"I've been playing NBA Live since 1995 when it first came out. It's a great way to relax, and I have two brothers, so we're always competing."
But Parker's game rivals aren't limited to family, as the Spurs participate in some high-priced battles on the team plane.
"We have so many trips that we have a PS2 on the plane. A lot of teams do that in the NBA. It's a great way to compete, and there's always money involved. We bet not too small, usually like $300-$400 a game (of NBA Live). Make things exciting," explains Parker. "The most I ever lost was $500. It was a long ride."
Here's what else the Spurs sensation had to say about videogames and the upcoming season.
IGN Sports: Madden has the cover curse, but Live is the opposite now that Dwyane Wade won the title. What does this mean for the Spurs this year since you're featured on the Live cover in France?
Tony Parker: I was on the cover in 05 in France and we won the championship, so hopefully things repeat. I hope we can get back and win the championship again this year. It was a tough loss against Dallas, Game 7. Being down 20, coming back, then losing in overtime, it was a tough one to swallow. It gives us a lot of motivation for this year.
IGN Sports: I know my wife gets mad when I play too many videogames. Does Eva ever get frustrated with all the time you spend on the sticks?
Tony Parker: She gets mad sometimes because she wants me to spend more time with her in the afternoon or on her day off, but now she's more open with it. I'm pretty reasonable. I try to play when she's not there, that way she won't get mad. :lol
IGN Sports: How do you think your character looks in Live this year on the 360?
Tony Parker: The way they show emotion on the face just makes things seem more real. It's not just a name on a jersey anymore, that is my face in the game. And I love that they made me so fast in the game. Speed is my best attribute in the game.
IGN Sports: Is anyone in the NBA faster than you with the ball?
Tony Parker: There will always be people who argue for me or Iverson or TJ Ford. For me, speed isn't anything I ever practiced. It's all in the genes. Plus, my mom gave me a lot of vitamins when I was small. [laughs]
IGN Sports: One of the most amazing stats last year is when you were leading the league in points in the paint at 6-2. What's your key to going in there against all the big men and still coming away with a bucket?
Tony Parker: It's all about the tear drop. That's why I want to come in and do motion-capture next year for EA, so I can get that tear drop in the game. So many players want to go in and dunk, but when the defense runs up on you, one of the best ways to score is throwing the ball up and over the top. That's why the tear drop is more effective. It's a shot young players should work on.
IGN Sports: You've already played more playoff games than anyone your age has ever played in the history of the NBA. How has that helped elevate your game?
Tony Parker:. Experience is everything. It means so much because it enabled me to learn the game even faster. Playing in the playoffs is the best basketball in the world, and if you can learn under that pressure, succeed under that pressure, it gives you more confidence the next year. I was just lucky to go to a team good enough to go to the playoffs every year because it has really helped me evolve my game and be a better player over time.
IGN Sports: It also helps playing alongside someone like Tim Duncan. Can fans even appreciate everything he does out on the court to help the Spurs win on a nightly basis?
Tony Parker: San Antonio fans, for sure. The other fans around the league, I'm not so sure because he's such a quiet guy, he's shy and doesn't talk a lot, so I think to some fans, he doesn't get the respect he deserves. To me, the best thing about the way he plays is the fact that he makes all of his teammates better. He's so unselfish. He's not a superstar who wants to shoot 30 times a night.
Parker battles Nate Robinson at NBA Live 07.
IGN Sports: Is that what makes the Spurs special, the fact that you're playing team ball?
Tony Parker: Definitely. We're sharing. Everyone has a share of the ball. If someone is hot one night, they get the ball, there aren't egos involved. As long as we win, we're happy.
IGN Sports: How many are you going to win this year?
Tony Parker: Our goals are not changing, and that's to win the championship. We have the same goal every year, it's basically the same team, and now it's time to go back out there and take the title back.
Playing team basketball.
IGN Sports: Do you have a specific way to prepare to face the various point guards in the NBA?
Tony Parker: Watching tape is key. I basically watch every game. It's the only way to breakdown your opponents.
IGN Sports: Ever tried scouting opponents using NBA Live?
Tony Parker: When I was small, playing NBA Live, that's how I knew everyone in the NBA. That's how I learned about the players. They go so in-depth with the stats and ratings, it's a great way for people to learn about the players. For me, I'll stick to watching film…for now. [laughs] You never know, the way technology is going, we might all use the games for scouting by the time I retire.