In today's French newspaper, there has been an interview of Parker and Mahinmi. I've enjoyed it so I've decided to translate it. If you don't understand something, just ask and I will try to do a better translation.
Tony, what memories of your nba start come back to you when you see Ian discovering the nba ?
TP: He brings me back in the state of mind I had in 2001. To see him being excited in the locker room before a preseason game, remember me that I've run everywhere for my first preseason game at the MSG with Spurs. I was really exciting only by going in the locker room, seeing my jersey with my name on the back hang in front of my locker. I was too happy when I wear it. I didn't stop to look at me to see how it fits me.
IM: For my first preseason game, I was wildly happy. I was even too excited, because, when Pop called my name to enter in the game, I've stayed a couple of seconds without a reaction. I was saying to myself "Is it really me that he has called ?" the best part was few days after when we met Miami. I was warming up and guess who I met ? The Shaq. Even bigger than at the TV. Without noticing it, I was staring at him without moving. At the end of the game, he came to see me and asked me if i was rookie. I said yes and he wished me good luck. I was so happy that I called my friends in France just after that to tell them this story.
Tony, didn't we get younger by being alongside someone so excited by the discover of a new world ?
TP: I play my 7th season and I play a lot of games each season. To sum up, it's a daily thing to me. I had forgotten how great the nba was. With his fresh at ude, Ian remembers me every day how lucky I am.
You have spoken about your first preseason game. How have you felt for the first regular season game ?
TP: We played at home, at the Alamodome, with 35000 people in the attendance. After 5 minutes, I enter in the game. I had my first FG. It's started.
IM: The most impressive for me was the ring ceremony before the game against Portland. It was great. As guys won the le last year, Stern and Holt have given champion rings to players. The arena was sold out and people screamed a lot. Every time a payer was called, people screamed even louder. It was so noisy that you fell it deep inside of you. I have never seen something like that in Europe.
TP: Even if I had won three ring, this kind of ceremony never get old. When I heard my name, I get goose bumps. You can't never be tired of winning.
In France, we don't really know how a nba franchise work. What is the specific life of a rookie ?
IM: I can't really complain. When there are birthdays, I had to sing "Happy Birthday" and sometimes dance (He rolls his eyes). And you have a lot of Birthdays. Four, so far: a medical staff member, mine... For the days when we played a game, I had to buy donuts for the whole team. As an example, Tim Duncan always gives me a huge list of donuts to buy. You had to forget nothing. He always wants coconuts, cranberries, cream.. donuts. One time, at the airport, I had to lift all the luggage with medical staff members and Darius Washington. When we travel, I must be the last one who enter in the hotel room.
TP: It was the same rules for me. Spurs is a good place for rookies. You had less things to do than in other nba franchises.
Like with Lakers where Ronny cleaned the practice court after each session ?
TP: Yes, we are a vet team.
IM: Players don't have time to lose. They don't have fun at throwing basket balls everywhere on the practice court. They aren't childish.
TP: My rookie year was different than Ian's one. It was magic really fast. It was like in a dream. I though Played 15mpg and be a good backup of Terry Porter. After two weeks, I was the starting PG.
When we dream of nba, isn't that difficult to end up in D-League ?
TP : (ironic) He really enjoys that.
IM:(give sickly smile) It's better than staying in a suit behind the bench. However, it isn't easy. I've played the first ten games of the season with Spurs. I have shown that I could bring something during the playtime given to me. I thought that after that, there would have a way to stay with Spurs. But, in fact, no.
TP: Spurs want to take their time with Ian. Our PF/C rotation is overcrowded with Duncan, Horry, Elson, Oberto. He is still a talented player but you had to be realistic. If Ian didn't play, he won't improve.
Isn't it a deception to have left Pau for SA and finally end up in Austin ?
IM: Of course that I was disappointed when they say me that I will go in Austin. I have the level to play in nba and we send me in D-League. People will think "yeah, this guy hasn't the level to be in nba".
TP: (he agrees) However, you are talking about some crappy French journalists who know nothing about the basketball.
IM: I've thought also that. To be honest, after the coach asked me if i wanted to stay in a suit behind the bench or go in D-league, I went at home and I told to myself : I will go in D-League while my dream is the nba. It was difficult. I was really disappointed.
TP: It's logical that you are disappointed. The opposite would be worrisome. We had after a long discussion about that. I've explained to Ian that the current team will change a lot at the end of the season. We will keep the big three but players like Horry, Finley or Barry will retire and Elson will be a free agent. Ian will have an opportunity next year. It will be up to him to take it.
Ian, what is Tony for you ?
IM: He is my big brother. I listen to him. I ask him a lot of questions and, like Tony has an answer to every question, it's all good to me. (He laughs) At the beginning, I relied on him because the transition between Europe and nba isn't an easy one. I come from Le Havre and Pau where I was among main players. I am here a rookie who is nothing at all.
TP: Ian is my little brother. I took him under my wing. Even before he was in SA, I was working for him because everybody asked me questions about him.
What were Duncan's Bowen's or Horry's questions ?
TP: Is he kind ? What is his at ude ? In our team, as long as you area good guy, we know that the adaption won't be a problem. They have seen very fast that Ian was serious and worked hard. These things show them that you want to succeed. Ian didn't know that but everybody has noticed when he was practicing two hours before the others players and was the last one to left the court.
What advices do you give him ?
TP : Nothing special. We talk about games or the defense. I tell him also where are the good restaurants. It's just stupid things, daily things. I do with Ian what Bruce has done with me. Luckily, I knew Bruce before coming to SA before I watched him play with Evreux in 94-95. Bruce was a friend of my father who worked with Evreux youth team. He took me under his wing. He showed me everything and support me when other where skeptical because I was an European PG.
Spurs are one of the first to have had foreign player. it should be easier for foreign palyers ?
IM: It's a family.
TP: Spurs are loved. People don't care if you are French or Argentinean as long as you play for Spurs. However, it's often not like that. We have also a team without locker room troubles. Boris Diaw could tell you that it suck in Atlanta. Horry and Bowen says the same thing. They have known teams where no one could stand so one. In 7 years in SA, I've never seen a fight.
How do you go from French league to the nba ?
IM: You had to adapt to that. i've been really surprised by the physical and athletic dimension of games. It's way higher than in Europe. Players shoots from everywhere. There are great players in every teams. A guy like Dwight Howard, he isn't normal with all his power. It's still basketball. Americans aren't better than Europeans.
TP: Except the top30 with players like Garnett, Shaq, Kobe. If they all played in the American NT, they would owned Europeans. The most surprising to me was rules.
What rule surprise you ?
TP: The defensive three seconds rule. A big can't stay in the more than three seconds like in Europe. The result is that it frees the paint when a player penetrate. The game is more spectacular.
IM: In nba, the organization is also more strict. You can't cheat. When you practice something like a one vs. one, you had to be at 100%. You can't be sometimes not at full speed while you can do that in France.
Is there this strictness during practices ?
TP: There are way more work in the weighting room.
IM: And specific work. Each player work on a specific area of his game.
TP: Except you. You had to work on everything. (Laugh)
IM: Yes, I had to work on everything. Paint game, perimeter game, drive..
TP: Your offensive game is the are where you had to improve the most.
IM: Every player has a specific program made by Pop.
TP: It's outside shooting and FT for me.
Tony, Is pop as harsh with Ian than with you in 01 ?
TP: It's not even close. Ian had no idea how harsh Pop was with me. I even find that Pop is becoming too kind.
IM: It's not the same thing for me because I came in a vet team.
TP: You come when the team is built with three les in 5 years. Pop doesn't need to scream anymore. While for me, in 2001, everything was to build. He had put his job in jeopardize for me. Puting a European PG while you just won the le has shocked a lot of people.
Ian, apart the fact that Spurs are one of the best nba franchise, you faced a top PF with Tim Duncan. How happens practices with him ?
IM: It's not always easy. (Laugh) He is a special player. Very clever. He lets the game comes to him. He is very patient. It's his strength and my biggest trouble. Thanks to that, he takes advantage of every little mistake I made. With him, a mistake becomes a bucket. He gives me a lot of advice about fundamentals, experience, placement. Tim Duncan is also a big name like, now, with TP. French people doesn't realize it but opposite PGs are scared to face TP, even before the game.
I don't know why but that quote just struck me as funny.
Don't feel bad Ian...Drob took Duncan to school so bad in their first practice session that Pop said he was thinking to himself he should drafted Keith Van Horne.
This was a fun article to read.
Tony is funny in interviews because he's so blunt about everything...
"Boris Diaw could tell you that it suck in Atlanta."
"They would have gotten owned"
"Pop scream all the time"
Great read. I'm proud to read that Tony is doing such an excellent job mentoring Ian. It seems like they've got a great friendship which will hopefully equal chemistry on the court for years to come.
Thanks for translating.
is it in L'Equipe magazine? I heard that he said him and Boris were the only NBA players from france... is it in this article?
You're welcome.
Yes, it is "L'équipe magazine".
Parker speaks about the other nba French players at the end of the article. He is really harsh. He speaks the truth but sometimes you shouldn't shut up instead of speak. For last summer, I find that Parker has changed his at ude. His ego is bigger than ever and I'm not a fan at all of Parker's new at ude.
BTW, the cover of this newspaper with a picture of Ian and Tony :
http://www.lequipemagazine.fr/img/un...pemag_1328.jpg
Thanks for the read...it was good.
Funny enough, I see more primadonna comments from Mahinmi than I do from Parker. At least Parker has earned the right to think he belongs....Mahinmi hasn't accomplished anything as of yet.
But, despite his obvious self-confidence in his abilities, I really like the fact that he is willing to work hard on his game and refine it.
I've just noticed that someone has scanned the article on put it Parker's website forum. If people who read French and who haven't the newspaper want to read it or if others want to see the pictures :
http://www.tp9.net/interactive/index.php?showtopic=5392
What a wonderful article.
I loved it.
Like whottt said, it was fun to read.
The questions were things I found interesting.
Thanks Bruno. This would be missed without you translating it for us.
One more article where the Spurs locker room toghetherness and family atmosphere is acknowledged.
We are so lucky to have these types of players with so much character. But it isn't luck that they are here. This franchise has always tried to acquire those types of players.
You're welcome.
Yes, it is "L'équipe magazine".
Parker speaks about the other nba French players at the end of the article. He is really harsh. He speaks the truth but sometimes you shouldn't shut up instead of speak. For last summer, I find that Parker has changed his at ude. His ego is bigger than ever and I'm not a fan at all of Parker's new at ude.
BTW, the cover of this newspaper with a picture of Ian and Tony :
http://www.lequipemagazine.fr/img/un...pemag_1328.jpg
i guess he is fed up with those french journalists who keep on asking him questions like: "France has numerous NBA players, why does the NT fail to perform well during International tournaments"?
In fact, TP is the only REAL NBA player (with Boris from time to time)
His ego is bigger than ever? That's because he is too closed to Thierry Henry !
When I criticize Parker's at ude, it's not because of this interview. He said nothing bad in it (in the part I've translated).
But right now Mahinmi has confidence in his game bordering on delusion.
Thanks a lot Bruno
Agreed. This is closer to the point I was making, and not necessarily justifying Parker's at ude.
It seems that Mahinmi CLEARLY thinks he belongs in the NBA and deserves playing time.
Nevermind the fact that he can't avoid foul trouble in NBA development league games, and hasn't shown consistency in his offensive production from game to game. Add the fact that he's still relying mostly on his athleticism to dominate and has a ways to go from a fundamentals perspective.
Bottom Line: I love the kid's work ethic and see a great deal of potential, but I have to say I find his confidence a bit funny (possibly disturbing), seeing as how he hasn't proven much of anything on any stage, European or otherwise.
Nice job, Bruno. Thanks for the translation.
It's weird to me that Mahinmi was surprised that he had to go to D-League. That should have been obvious. I'm guessing the Spurs didn't explain it well to him before he arrived.
Overall though, you have to be happy with Mahinmi's at ude.
A huge ego is a prerequisite to become a great point guard. There has never been a great point guard who didn't have a huge (bordering on annoying) ego. As a point guard, you have to believe you are in charge of the show no matter what. And even if things are going wrong, point guards have to remain supremely confident in their abilities because they are playing the one position in the game where a player can't hide.
The only time an ego can get a point guard in trouble is if the player can't back it up or if the player's ego starts to separate the locker room.
Mahinmi didn't say that he deserves playing time.
Blaming a player who decide to come in nba for believing that he belongs in the nba is kinda strange.
It could seem strange that I criticize Parker like that but I will explain why I do it :
- After the Euro, Parker was in a show with George Eddy (a basketball journalist born in the USA and who played in France). George Eddy was criticizing French NT and Parker said to him "who do you are to criticize us? You haven't played at a high level and you have never played in nba."
- In this interview, he is bashing French players in nba. He said things like "if Pietrus was an established player, he would have received a contract this summer" or "To me there aren't 9 French in nba. We are only two to play, Boris and me. Others didn't play." What he said is true but he shouldn't say it. He is also saying that other shouldn't do like him and should stay 3 or 4 years in Europe before coming in nba.
- In all his interview, he is acting like he was the best player of the world. He is saying thinks like he didn't do triple double because Pop don't let him go on the boards like Kidd is allowed with nets instead of saying that he isn't a great rebounder. He is saying that he can't be MVP because he is playing with two great players instead of saying that he hasn't the level to be MVP. what is funny is that he said that Garnett will be the MVP while Garnett is also playing with two great players.
Saying that, I enjoy watching Parker. Despite his iness, he isn't selfish on the court and is still a good teammate. It's just that I didn't like the at ude he has had off the court lately. I think he needs to cool down a little.
Mahinmi "chose" the lesser of two evils, when he was given the option of NBADL or suit on the bench. He didn't seem particularly pleased about either option.
That says to me that he expected to stay with the big club and PLAY...and based on his comments he seems to think he has the talent to do so, which is borderline dilusional.
This kid would get eaten alive by NBA players...he's simply not ready. And for him to think he is, well that's just funny. Criticizing (which I'm pretty sure is what you meant by "blaming") him for believing that he belongs when he doesn't yet isn't strange at all, IMO.
BTW, I said I think it's "funny" because right now it doesn't seem to have affected his work ethic or desire to improve. The point at which it moves beyond "funny" is when/if he begins to believe that he's "made it" and no longer needs to work on his game, which I hope never happens.
Thanks very much Bruno, that was fantastic.
I love seeing the Spurs and the NBA through foreigner's eyes as it is a great way to separate out what makes the Spurs the special organisation that it is.
There are many great quotes, but I laughed at this:
TP: Ian had no idea how harsh Pop was with me. I even find that Pop is becoming too kind.
That's understandable.
However, hasn't Parker always talked junk when in France? I remember translating stuff back in 2001 and he was saying things to the French media that he'd never dare say in the United States. I think he likes to play up his celebrity status in France with the country's media. I agree some of that is over the top but it sounds to me like Parker more just trying to be the Basketball King in France where he has a public that might not fully understand the game so he can get away with inaccurate comments.
The funny thing is if an American reporter asked him the same questions, he'd have totally different answers
Bruno...I don't agree with your take on Parker's at ude really..
Parker never makes excuses for poor play, and I believe he's fairly accurate most of the time...that's the difference between bad ego and good ego.
To quote Pop...Tony is a guy that has gotten overhimself...and in the process he got over everyone else too.
When Tony sucks he's the first guy to step up and admit he sucked...without pointing fingers or blaming.
When he won the finals MVP he choked up and said he wanted to thank Duncan because he knew Duncan basically let him win that MVP.
I don't agree Parker's ego has run away with him....
He's just brutally honest.
There are only two French players in the NBA...more like one and a half actually.
And who was that guy to question Tony?
You gotta realize...Tony's been trained by Pop...Pop doesn't suffer fools and neither does Tony. Reporters or otherwise.
When Tony has a bad game and then starts blaming the coaching staff or his teamates for his own poor play...then we can talk about his at ude and ego...
But until that happens, he's just being candid. It's not like he's only candid others, he's candid about himself as well...when he sucks. I don't think his success has gone to his head...I think he's just honest.
FWIW...I don't think Pop likes guards getting triple doubles...
Not only does he not let them crash the boards, he yanks them a lot of the time when they are on the verge of getting one...I've seen him kill about 4 or 5 of Tony's triple doubles...and about the same for Manu.
SO what is Tony supposed to say when asked the question, why don't you get Triple Doubles?
Because I suck?
He just gave the honest answer...because Pop's system doesn't allow for them.
I think only one guard has gotten a triple double in Pop's NBA career and that was Speedy Claxton...and Speedy did that in like 5 minutes of PT too.
Other than that one by Speedy, in 10 years no one other than Duncan has had a triple double on this team.
TP is not being false modest there
Ask him a question, he'll answer honestly and won't care if it sounds like he has a huge ego
I'm going to limit myself to only the article you posted a link to and say I agree a lot with what Tony said. I'm a little surprised you left that part out.
"30 minutes on the floor in Barcelona or Wroclaw are better than 2 minutes playing time in the NBA" is a harsh but true statement. You need to learn and you can't do that in a suit. The coaching is just as good over here for the fundamental skills than it is in the NBA. He is also saying out loud what many sport journalist in Europe fail to do - differentiate between teams in the NBA. Young talents in Europe should not only dream to play in the NBA (that was the goal years ago) but to make an impact in the NBA. The moment a player is drafted he becomes a national hero - that's wrong.
What TP is saying is harsh, but true (IMO at least)
P.S. I know TP was frustrated by the french NT this year but the comment to George Eddy was uncalled for (specially since George was one of the early promoter of TP the star). I also think that Eddy has done a lot for the popularity of bball in France (please correct me if I'm wrong).
As you have guessed I'm a George Eddy fan (at least i was until Canal+ scrambled his ass)
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