It's difficult for me to blame TP personally. He owes a lot to France since they taught him the game. He obviously wouldn't be in the NBA if it weren't for the help he got while growing up in the French system. If I were in his shoes, I probably would also want to play for the NT.
That said, playing this past summer was just dumb. He used TONS of energy last season. There were times where he was beating teams literally by himself. He then had to kill himself against the Mavs for the Spurs to not totally get blown out. TP needed a long summer of rest to recharge for the NBA season. Even with no NT play, he probably would have been tired. But add in NT play and it's just asking for disaster.
I'm hopefully TP can peak at the right time. It seems like just about every year he goes through a period of injury and fatigue. Thankfully, he has always been able to be near 100% come playoff time. We just gotta hope that happens again this year.
It's just a bad situation all around. I can't really blame TP. I can't blame the Spurs for being pissed that a player they've invested so much in has hurt himself and the team by doing something outside of his contract. It sucks ... hopefully it works itself out and this year doesn't become a wasted opportunity.
Exactly, that's also what ive said, he doesnt owe it to the fans, but more to himself and his country which gave him the opportunities. Ive said before; its doing something back to your country. Plus, its an honour and certain pride, which everyone would take and feel honoured to have the chance.
I personally blame the other french players (diaw, turiaf..) for sucking with the french NT. I'm sure tony wouldn't have played every summer if france was this bad without him. I'm mainly talking about 2 years ago when he wasn't planning on playing and changed his mind during the summer.
[QUOTE=timvp;3991195]I'm hopefully TP can peak at the right time. It seems like just about every year he goes through a period of injury and fatigue. Thankfully, he has always been able to be near 100% come playoff time. We just gotta hope that happens again this year.
[QUOTE]
very true. TP has had some period in the past with many so-so games but has still improved each year overall. i'm still very confident he could be his old self come PO time.
As for the NT, do you think the games he had with the french NT were a very bigger load that the usual one he would have from a deep run in the PO with the spurs.
He played about 12 official games with the NT IIRC (with some ones taking it easy). He could have played 15 or 20 more crazy PO games if the spurs went to the finals.
The long period of rest was ed obviously but as for the load, the early elimination of the spurs kind of compensate that.
Last edited by kace; 01-13-2010 at 12:30 PM.
Every professional athlete has all the information in front of them regarding the importance of maintaining one's health in order to continue playing at the top of your game in a professional league such as the NBA. When you're on a team like the Spurs almost every year you can expect to play late into the year.
Use some common sense. TP saw what happened to Manu? Why didn't someone in his camp sit down with him and discuss these matters. I remember last summer, TP would talk about how young he was, and how he can take it unlike the old guys.
Well, wake up Parker. You're not 22 anymore. Just look at your other Euro teammate Manu and tell me how playing all year has worked out for him.
I'm not blaming the other french players for sucking I really blame them for being pussies in front of their team: pietrus, noah and company with always the same excuse they cannot play because of their contract / team / coach pressure... The only one who has been 100% loyal who every summer fights with his team is TP. If everybody was doing half of that, France maybe would have been better results and TP would have been able to rest without hurting France chances.
Are you kidding????
He "only" invested a few 100K..., that's peanuts for him!!!!!!!!
Yeah, the NT play likely puts more wear and tear on the body than the final three rounds of the NBA playoffs. Not only the NT games, but TP has talked about the grueling two-a-day practices with the NT. Add in the travel and the fact that his NT play finished about two weeks before training camp and I don't think it's much of a comparison.
I mainly agree with you, but come on!
You really think he wants to play for the NT because he "owes" them BB wise?
There are many other simple/natural reasons why ANYONE would want to plau for the country they grew up...
seriously what the does it matter if Tony is not a top 5 PG anymore??? is he really so worried about that, that it's affecting his game???
No.
Think at Deron Williams (who was mentioned in his interview), Rajon Rondo, Derrick Rose, Tyreke Evans or Brandon Jennings...
TP has been for years a young PG on the rise. It leads him to being a top3 or top5 PG in the league. For the first time in his carer, he is clearly on the fall in the PG hierarchy. Of course, injuries are a reason of that but he also see that there is a lot of young hungry PGs just behind him.
team first!
Exactly, besides he isnt doing anything really, its more like a formal job and just a small invest, which could maybe even be seen as a sort of charity, other than that, I dont think TP has headaches of that club, nor of its success or failure.
It has as much impact on him as vBookie has on ST! no more...
Come on guys, all the things Tony says in the interview are just plain facts.. yes the guy is playing injured, yes he is tired physically and mentally, he has been playing for 8 years non stop, he has major pressure on his shoulders, being the face of BBall in France he has to answer to journalists all the time, etc, and being the PG of the SPurs, one of the Big3, he also feels the responsability of making sure that this season, one of their last real shots at the le with many new players goes well.
Finally it is true that he is in a way a narcissistic sel randizing player. this is one of the characteristics of many compe ors. He survived his first year in the NBA and became the player he is because he always thought he was the best and he could do it, he could get into the lane and score despite those 3 players, etc...
Realising that he is not playing well is tough for a compe or and will lead him to choices that until today he didn't have to think about..
sounds all pretty candid and normal to me.
"Being the face in BBall in france he h........"
What happened? Who entered your room?
Welcome to ST
inadvertently had a bout of precocious posting.. ;p
Those are good points there. TP looks at Manu and Tim and thinks to himself, "I'm still young and that will not happen to me anytime soon". He's even gone so far as to say as much, declaring that "I've got a lot of years in front of me."
I agree that TP should've learned a lesson from Manu. His game has been drastically affected by the annual wear-n-tear resulting from perennial international compe ion, not to mention the increased likelihood of injury. The type of injuries that have plagued his teammate, Manu, for about 2 seasons. Look how long this has affected Manu. Also, Tony should have observed how contract negotiations between the Spurs and Manu quickly broke off after Manu's injury. I know TP wants to get paid again. Therefore, he needs to be mindful that good health = good contract.
I can understand the obligation, duty and honor that comes with playing for one's country. However, I still believe it would be better for everyone if they limit the amount of international compe ion to maybe once every other year. These cats should remember, the NBA career is fleeting. Good health will prolong one's career. Thus enabling them to have the potential for a longer post-NBA careers for their international teams, if the choose to do so.
In all honesty, I can see how TP thought he was Superman after the last season. I also think he didn't really know what his mental/physical ceiling was.
That said, I think it's pretty clear to him now...
It's interesting to compare Parker's 'poor-me-I'm-tired" comments with those echoed by Kobe after last night's loss;
Los Angeles has lost three of four—its worst slump yet by the standards of the NBA’s best team. But banged-up or not, Bryant is not tolerating any excuses for the Lakers.
“It’s part of the business,” Bryant said. “I won’t allow my guys to even think about that or have that at ude.”
And timvp- I disagree when you say France taught Parker the game.
Tony's Dad is a former professional basketball player born and raised in the States (Tony Jr. routinely attended his games) and by all accounts Tony only got interested in basketball watching Michael Jordan play the game.
Tony playing for France last summer, considering how Manu's injury negatively impacted our team and how much money Holt spent was jaw-dropping dumb.
Let's not make excuses.
You're either committed to winning an NBA championship with the team paying you millions or you can go drive a truck.
Yeah thru, he got the love and effort from his dad no doubt, but Tony went to INSEP and developed a lot over there. It's a good ins ute which also developed other players into stars.
Come on, this is not about making excuses, it is about stating facts... TP says he is injured and tired and now FEELS in his flesh and bones that he has played to much and will have to make an adjustment, even though he faces expectations from the club and the National team...
Bummer, this clearly sounds like whining indeed...
He is being candid there.. Would you like him to go all Rambo and say "nah everything is fine" or "I am a beast, I will play 120 games a year no probs" while this is not the truth?
try to cut him some slack instead of looking for any possible angle for criticism.
Pointing to Kobe isn't the greatest example considering that he also plays with his NT.
And never complains, never misses time and his game doesn't slip.
I'm not comparing Kobe to Parker- that's asinine.
All i'm saying is that it didn't take Nostradamus to predict there'd be negative consequences to Tony's decision of playing for the NT over the summer, especially considering the Manu injury of last year. Many posters here flagged the inherent stupidity and risk associated to it.
Indeed using Kobe as example isnt very realistic. What about his whining and making it look like he is a tough player about his finger, which isn't really a big deal.
some spurs fans make me laugh. They should learn a thing or 2 from lakerfans, you don't see many lakerfans ing and moaning about Gasol playing NT and getting injured/tired.
I've been on the anti-NT bandwagon since back when Robinson played on the Dream Team. I've complained many a time about TP playing for his NT.
That said, it's pretty easy to understand why he feels obligated.
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