Tony or Manu

[Solid D]

I look at Tony as French. The details that he has a mother from Amsterdam and U.S. father is one thing...plus he was born in Belgium...but let's face it, Tony grew up in France, he went to school there, attended the INSEP, played for PBR, and now is a part owner for PBR, he plays for the French National Team while not playing in the NBA. He would have played for France if they had qualified for the Olympics.

BTW, boutons (buttons), are you French or do you have French ancestry? Just curious.

[samikeyp]

If you don't live in the USA, then you probably aren't aware of the wide-spread anti-French at udes, just as there are planet-wide anti-American sentiments.

not everyone in the US hates the French just like not everyone around the world hates Americans. Although I doubt Alvarez actually knows its 100% for sure, without a doubt, absolutely positively an anti-french bias (if you have actual proof, I would be interested in seeing it) but he did make a very good point....the majority of fans don't care about a players nationality just how they play....If their is a bias, its team bias....most fans vote for their own teams players. I don't know the exact breakdown but I am pretty sure the majority of the people who voted for Rasho were Spurs fans.

[SequSpur]

All foreigners are beggers.

[T Park]

I look at Tony as French.

He doesnt have French Blood, nor was he born there.


But, whatever floats your boat.

[Solid D]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tony_Parker

Certainly makes for interesting discussion, this topic.

[Solid D]

This makes things clear as mud (like a politician).

http://celtics.bostonherald.com/othe...=16150&format=

Written in the Boston Herald after the Spurs visited the White House and Gregg Popovich asked President Bush, referring to Tony, if "the Frenchman can come in?".

"Tony Parker, who has dual citizenship here and in France, also met with French president Jacques Chirac last month. Asked which leader he preferred, the diplomatic Parker said, ``I liked them both. Remember, I'm 50-50.''

[Kori Ellis]

I look at Tony as French. The details that he has a mother from Amsterdam and U.S. father is one thing...plus he was born in Belgium...but let's face it, Tony grew up in France, he went to school there, attended the INSEP, played for PBR, and now is a part owner for PBR, he plays for the French National Team while not playing in the NBA. He would have played for France if they had qualified for the Olympics.

I think of him as French for the same reasons. He is also introduced at Spurs games as "number 9, from Paris ... Tony Parker." He very much considers himself somewhat French at the least.

[Solid D]

not everyone in the US hates the French just like not everyone around the world hates Americans. Although I doubt Alvarez actually knows its 100% for sure, without a doubt, absolutely positively an anti-french bias (if you have actual proof, I would be interested in seeing it) but he did make a very good point....the majority of fans don't care about a players nationality just how they play....If their is a bias, its team bias....most fans vote for their own teams players. I don't know the exact breakdown but I am pretty sure the majority of the people who voted for Rasho were Spurs fans.

Mikey, I agree with you that not everyone in the US hates the French. I disagree with the notion that the majority of fans don't care about nationality, just how they play. A quick look at one of the headlines of the day leads me to think otherwise.

Yao leads Shaq by 70,000 in All-Star voting

http://www.usatoday.com/sports/baske...tm?POE=SPOISVA

Yao leads all players in ballots cast with over 1,888,533 votes, through 1/13/05.

[milkyway21]

Nash is the only pt.guard who's playing better than Tony right now. Tony can make it. His only compe ion is Bibby.

BTW, Yao leading all-star votes, overall? No shock China has 1.3 billion population....sorry Brad, sorry Rasho, sorry Vlade

[GINNNNNNNNNNNNOBILI]

Bibbys stats are better in almost every category, but i think tony is playing better at the present time

[ALVAREZ6]

I thought Tony was born in Belgium...

every different source gives me a different country.
Some sites say France, others say Belgium....

[xcoriate]

Yeah I think he was born in belgium too, not the netherlands as ducks suggested.

Solid's article that he posted certianly stated he was born in Bruges, Belgium.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tony_Parker

[ALVAREZ6]

But then the Spurs official website and NBA.com say he's from France....

no one knows where the F he's from.

[bigzak25]

i pick manu for allstar because he has a slightly better shooting touch and more intangibles along with having alot more voter recognition. but i don't think either one will have enough votes to get past big names. they would have to have breakout offensive seasons, which frankly, i don't believe will ever happen unless one or the other becomes a sharp shooter. who knows who the coaches will pick to fill out the roster....chances of Pop being coach are what?

[samikeyp]

Fair point, Solid. I still have to go with my theory that fans side with their team's players first though.

[Extra Stout]

If Tony or Manu goes to the All-Star game now, props go out to Ira Newble, a true American hero...

[Supergirl]

Huh, I had just assumed that neither would get picked by coaches because Spurs are always too "boring" for the ASG. I hear a lot more buzz from sportswriters about Manu, but I hadn't thought about the Suns coach being the ASG coach, and his respect for Parker, so maybe that will influence it. Does JUST the West coach get to pick the other players, or is it the consensus of al the coaches?

McGrady and Kobe will get voted in, but Kobe will probably step down now that he's injured. I can't imagine the Suns coach (we're assuming that Pop is out of the running for West coach) will pick Nash, that leaves one guard spot open...He'd be smart to pick Tony, since then he'd have to PGs and two SGs. But no one ever picks the ASG players by what makes a good team.

[Spurminator]

Starters:
C - Yao
F - Duncan
F - Garnett
G - TMac
G - Kobe

Bench:
G - Nash
G - Allen
G - Parker or Bibby
F - Nowitzki
F - Stoudemire
F - R. Lewis
F - Webber or Marion

[Phenomanul]

:question

Wasn't D'Antoni the National Coach for Argentina????

You would think he has great respect for Manu...

Of, course I might be way off base....

[Marcus Garvey]

That mark ass boutons was exposed in this thread.

[Solid D]

D'Antoni coached in Italy. Ruben Magnano (sp?) has been Argentina's NT coach.

[ALVAREZ6]

How long is Kobe gonna be out for... ?

I wish he had a serious injury so Manu could be an AS.

[Solid D]

How long is Kobe gonna be out for... ?

I wish he had a serious injury so Manu could be an AS.

There will probably be lots of answers to this question over the next few weeks. It was reported that an MRI would be done today. Who knows for sure?

[Kori Ellis]

As far as I know, Tony's mom was Dutch (Netherlands), his dad American. He was born in Belgium. But spent most of his life in France. He has citizenship in France and the U.S. I don't think he has any problem being called a "frenchman". He obviously loves France as he has invested his money into a basketball team there. The majority of time I see him when he's not on the basketball court he's talking a lot of French because he has a lot of French friends.

[ALVAREZ6]

As far as I know, Tony's mom was Dutch (Netherlands), his dad American. He was born in Belgium. But spent most of his life in France. .

I was thinking the same.

I thought he was born in Belgium, and I read in an article that he grew up in France.

I didn't know his mom was Dutch, and that his dad is American.