Spurs' Parker Wants to Play in Worlds While Teammate Ginobili Soon to Decide
By Chris Tomasson
DENVER -- One San Antonio backcourt star anticipates playing in the World Championships next summer in Turkey. The other Spurs backcourt star plans do decide before the playoffs begin next weekend.
Tony Parker has fully recovered after recently sitting out about a month with a broken right hand. He's expecting to represent his native France for the Worlds, which run Aug. 28-Sept. 12.
"I want to play,'' Parker said after San Antonio's 104-85 win Saturday at Denver. "Of course, I want to play.''
As far as giving an official word to French officials, Parker said he won't do that until after the playoffs. But Parker's backcourt mate, Manu Ginobili, said he will alert Argentina officials before the postseason whether he will represent his homeland.
Ginoboli just signed a three-year, $39 million contract. That could end up being the final obstacle that would lead him to play.
"I've got to make my decision by next week,'' Ginobili said before the game. "I don't have to. But I want to out of respect for the coaching staff ... There's no more variables in that situation (due to his contract extension). I better make that decision now ... Just in case I don't play, they will have time to make adjustments. If I do play, I want them to be sure they know I'm going to be in it. It's good to give them some time.''
Ginobili wouldn't say whether or not he's leaning toward playing in the Worlds due to his contract extension having been finalized. But Ginobili did acknowledge it would be very tough not to play for Argentina, the 2004 Olympic gold medalists, because he said all the country's other top players have committed.
"Ah, yes,'' Ginobili said. "I love playing with them. It's more fun if everybody plays, of course ... We've made the semifinals the last four tournaments so that is something huge, and that we try to maintain.''
In addition to winning the 2004 Olympics, Argentina won silver at the 2002 World Championships, lost to Team USA in semifinals of the 2006 Worlds and took bronze at the 2008 Olympics.
At the last Olympics, Ginobili re-injured his left ankle, which needed surgery and kept him out for nearly the first month of last season. Still, San Antonio coach Gregg Popovich said the decision is completely up to Ginobili whether to play in Turkey, and team officials won't sway him one way or another.
"It's totally his,'' Popovich said. "We have no power. We can say whatever we want. Players can do what they want. So that's the bottom line. So I don't waste my time ... he'll just tell me what he's going to do.''
Popovich said he's torn because he has great respect for international basketball but also doesn't want an injury to affect the Spurs.
"Sure, I am,'' Popovich said. "All of us our torn in that respect ... but I understand it. I loved (international basketball) when I was playing in the military and traveling around the world and playing in different tournaments. When you get to play for your country, it's a pretty exciting thing. But sure it makes it nervous. I don't want him to get hurt. But the way the rules are he can do whatever he wants.''
But why will Parker wait until after the playoffs to make his decision final while Ginobili said he will do so before the postseason?
"He does whatever he wants,'' said Parker, echoing what Popovich said about Ginobili.
Manu's got his contract, there's no ing way he doesn't play. The only way he'd skip it is if he didn't have a guaranteed paycheck and had to assume some of the risk himself.
The potential nightmare of having Ginobili, Parker, and Tiago injured in the future due to international play is coming to mind for some reason
Just have to hope that the none of the Spurs foreign born players get injured. Definitely nerve wracking.
"I want to play,'' Parker said after San Antonio's 104-85 win Saturday at Denver. "Of course, I want to play.''
TP is on thin ice. Contract year + injury = ?
Ginobili's not going to play because he unofficially owes it to the Spurs FO right about now. They gave him a 3 year max deal knowing full well that Ginobili's injury and absence in the playoffs hampered them severely.
It'd be a huge slap in the face if Ginobili went and played in the worlds just a year after coming off of injury. Huge slap in the face. He's not going to do it.
Furthermore, he's going to cite his twins as the "true" reason for not playing in the worlds, even though we all know that's clearly not the case (it might be a factor, but it's certainly not the main one)
As for Parker, I have no idea. Your guess is as good as mine.
I hope Tim asks both of them to take the summer off. So they can have a fresh start next season and grab one of Tims last rings
Puck Farker
Reading between the lines, Manu ain't playing. Methinks that was also a condition from the Spurs for him to get the deal he signed this past week.
Actually, if Manu doesn't play in Turkey, I suspect it has everything to do with the twins, and nothing to do with the Spurs.
When a reporter pressed RC for an answer about this the day Manu got extended, he said there's absolutely nothing they can say or do, and that all they can hope for is that Manu 'respects his health' when it comes to making such decisions.
RC was, paradoxically, crystal clear in a subtle/indirect way (mostly with his tone, partly due to the fact that he sort of awkwardly added in the "we hope manu respects his health" after it appeared as though he was done answering the question) that the spurs FO would be furious if Ginobili decided to play this year, in that very interview you're referring to.
Ginobili's not playing in the worlds, it will have mostly to do with the spurs and partly to do with his twins.
He's only saying in public that he hasn't decided yet in order to not piss argentinian fans off.
He'll say his absence in this year's worlds is because of his twins, again to not piss argentinian fans off.
Argentinian fans would be infinitely more furious if they found out Ginobili couldn't represent them due to tensions between him and the Spurs FO.
But, if Ginobili claims that it's because of his twins, fans would be MUCH more understanding.
Ginobili's playing a masterful public relations game right now. He's easing into his almost certain final decision that he's not playing for the world's this year. It's written all over his face.
If Tony decides to play given his health this year and how much time he needs to recover, then I'm sad to say I'm fully in the trade Tony camp.
No way should the Spurs risk potentially the last Duncan year on Tony being injured all season again.
Doesn't matter. If it would be so crystal clear, Manu would have already said no to the national team. There's no point in delaying the announcement if the decision has been made.
I thought Pop was pretty clear with what he said today. They'll do whatever they want and the team has to hope for the best.
People here talk all the time about under-the-table agreements, and there's really no such thing. It wouldn't surprise me at all if Manu ends up going. I know he really wants to.
I'm glad you have it all figured out.
Argentina's fans really don't demand anything else from Ginobili. You can ask any of them, there's plenty here on the board. Plus the Argie's team coach already kind of excused him if he doesn't want to play.
Manu himself said he just loves to play with that group of players, and he would feel 'terrible' if he had to watch it on TV instead of being there with the team. Back then he mentioned his twins and his lack of extension as being the biggest obstacles. The extension is done. The twins is what's left.
This is precisely the reason we have to ship Parker's ass right now. Hill has proven that he can fill in the void when Parker got injured. I don't hate TP or anything, but his commitment to international play is beginning to affect the Spurs right now
There's no reason for Manu to announce his intentions next week either, if he were going to play...
The Spurs can't say about what they want him (or Tony for that matter) to do. The PC police at FIBA went to court to make sure NBA teams couldn't even imply that they'd be pissed at player X for going to play international ball.
Parker won't play this summer - not sure about Manu but I doubt it because of his kids.
Personal opinion or info? Before this thread I thought had read an article in here saying that Parker already made his mind about playing in the WC.
Manu said in his shootaround interview that aside from the extension, he wanted to see commitment and effort from the Spurs to keep him. They did by offering him the max. I think he won't play. I hope he doesn't.
yep that's what i said
Prolonged rest is the best possible remedy for Plantar Fasciitis IIRC. If Parker play for the NT, its likely we have a hobbled Parker next season. Maybe Parker doesn't mind since he thinks the Spurs will give him an extension anyway ala Manu?
There is something you guys don't get about Parker:
He wants to control his public communication.
He will decided when, where, to who and how he will announce his choice about French NT. IMO, just after the end of Spurs season, he wil made a press conference or have an interview with french media to say that he won't play and explain why.
All these little sentence means nothing at all and Parker likely won't play for the NT this summer.
Keyword being "want" but he won't.
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