Kori Ellis
11-03-2004, 01:45 AM
Duncan's assist cements deal
Web Posted: 11/03/2004 12:00 AM CST
Mike Monroe
Express-News Staff Writer
http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/stories/MYSA110304.8C.BKNspurs.parker.1b7422ed.html
Spurs coach Gregg Popovich last Friday asked majority owner Peter Holt to reconsider his decision to stick at $64 million for a six-year contract extension for point guard Tony Parker.
Holt wouldn't budge.
When Tim Duncan made the same request on Monday afternoon, Parker got the extra $2 million it took to make him happy and locked in to the Spurs, long term.
Draw your own conclusion about who truly wields the power in the organization.
Parker on Tuesday said he was so happy he could not find the words — in English or French — to express his joy at signing the six-year contract extension that will increase his pay next season from $1.5 million to $8 million and pay him a total of $66 million through the 2011-12 NBA season.
"I'm very happy to play six more years under Pop, and with Manu (Ginobili) and Timmy we've got a great team," Parker said. "I'm happy that Peter took that decision. I thought it was a good decision for his part and I'm going to show him he didn't do a mistake."
It was no mistake on his part, Parker said, to have signed for less money from the Spurs than he likely could have commanded as a free agent next summer.
"First of all," Parker said, "I love San Antonio. I love the city, I love the fans and I wanted to stay here. I know here we have a great team and every year we are going to play in the playoffs and every year we have a shot to win the championship. That's most important for me. It's not making $85 million and playing for the Hawks or the Clippers and be sad every day.
"I was ready to take less money and stay in San Antonio and play with a winning team, because every day I can come home and be happy because we are winning games and got playoff excitement."
It may have been the intercession by Duncan, the two-time NBA most valuable player and the highest-paid player in club history, that ultimately influenced Holt to rethink what had been a final offer of $64 million over six years. Duncan, too, was thinking about the long-term success of the club, Holt said.
Duncan rarely makes his feelings known about anything to anyone outside his immediate family. That's what made his feelings about Parker's deal so persuasive to Holt.
"Tim always has a lot of influence," Holt said. "Obviously, he has a lot of influence because he's a great player, but also because when Tim speaks, people listen. Tim doesn't speak up unless it's something he truly believes in. When Tim came in and talked to Pop and visited with us about it and gave us his feelings and his sense of things — and not just specifically Tony, but also the team, and not short term, but long term and what he was looking for in the future — that meant a lot to me."
Holt related that Duncan even offered to pay out of his own pocket the $2 million that separated the two sides, knowing, full well, the NBA would not allow it.
"Tim laughingly said 'I'll pay the $2 million,'" Holt said. "Pop told him, and he already knew, the rules wouldn't let him do that. But that's how much he loves Tony and wants this team to become even more integrated and play more tightly together."
Ultimately, the notion of having his core of young talent together for several more runs at the NBA championship is what moved Holt to do what he called "the right thing" on Parker's deal.
"You think about Tim and Tony and Manu and give them another two or three years together," Holt said, "and what are we going to have? We've got the potential to really have — I hate to use the word 'dynasty,' because so many things can happen — but we've got some real potential here. We've got young guys who have already won a championship, and we've been able to hold them together."
Web Posted: 11/03/2004 12:00 AM CST
Mike Monroe
Express-News Staff Writer
http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/stories/MYSA110304.8C.BKNspurs.parker.1b7422ed.html
Spurs coach Gregg Popovich last Friday asked majority owner Peter Holt to reconsider his decision to stick at $64 million for a six-year contract extension for point guard Tony Parker.
Holt wouldn't budge.
When Tim Duncan made the same request on Monday afternoon, Parker got the extra $2 million it took to make him happy and locked in to the Spurs, long term.
Draw your own conclusion about who truly wields the power in the organization.
Parker on Tuesday said he was so happy he could not find the words — in English or French — to express his joy at signing the six-year contract extension that will increase his pay next season from $1.5 million to $8 million and pay him a total of $66 million through the 2011-12 NBA season.
"I'm very happy to play six more years under Pop, and with Manu (Ginobili) and Timmy we've got a great team," Parker said. "I'm happy that Peter took that decision. I thought it was a good decision for his part and I'm going to show him he didn't do a mistake."
It was no mistake on his part, Parker said, to have signed for less money from the Spurs than he likely could have commanded as a free agent next summer.
"First of all," Parker said, "I love San Antonio. I love the city, I love the fans and I wanted to stay here. I know here we have a great team and every year we are going to play in the playoffs and every year we have a shot to win the championship. That's most important for me. It's not making $85 million and playing for the Hawks or the Clippers and be sad every day.
"I was ready to take less money and stay in San Antonio and play with a winning team, because every day I can come home and be happy because we are winning games and got playoff excitement."
It may have been the intercession by Duncan, the two-time NBA most valuable player and the highest-paid player in club history, that ultimately influenced Holt to rethink what had been a final offer of $64 million over six years. Duncan, too, was thinking about the long-term success of the club, Holt said.
Duncan rarely makes his feelings known about anything to anyone outside his immediate family. That's what made his feelings about Parker's deal so persuasive to Holt.
"Tim always has a lot of influence," Holt said. "Obviously, he has a lot of influence because he's a great player, but also because when Tim speaks, people listen. Tim doesn't speak up unless it's something he truly believes in. When Tim came in and talked to Pop and visited with us about it and gave us his feelings and his sense of things — and not just specifically Tony, but also the team, and not short term, but long term and what he was looking for in the future — that meant a lot to me."
Holt related that Duncan even offered to pay out of his own pocket the $2 million that separated the two sides, knowing, full well, the NBA would not allow it.
"Tim laughingly said 'I'll pay the $2 million,'" Holt said. "Pop told him, and he already knew, the rules wouldn't let him do that. But that's how much he loves Tony and wants this team to become even more integrated and play more tightly together."
Ultimately, the notion of having his core of young talent together for several more runs at the NBA championship is what moved Holt to do what he called "the right thing" on Parker's deal.
"You think about Tim and Tony and Manu and give them another two or three years together," Holt said, "and what are we going to have? We've got the potential to really have — I hate to use the word 'dynasty,' because so many things can happen — but we've got some real potential here. We've got young guys who have already won a championship, and we've been able to hold them together."