2023-08-04 19:43:11
He is used to the first, but this one will have a special flavor: on August 12, Tony Parker will become the first Frenchman introduced to the Hall of Fame, the pantheon of basketball players. A final consecration for one of the greatest French sportsmen in history. At the Hall of Fame, he will be in good company, especially that of Michael Jordan, whom he considers “the best player of all time”, as he repeated again during an interview with several media including Le Parisien . Selected pieces.
L’introduction au Hall of Fame
“I always tell young players to dream big. I pass on to them the idea that when you share your dream with someone, if that person doesn’t laugh at you, that means your dream isn’t big enough. But I never would have imagined doing this! At the time, it seemed impossible. There was no European leader in the NBA, there were hardly any Europeans for that matter. I just wanted to succeed in the NBA. It’s crazy ! I even find it difficult to realize. When I got the phone call telling me I was going to be inducted, I knew it was coming, but it still shocked me. I believe that I will realize only after the ceremony and after my speech. »
His speech
“I’m very stressed about writing my induction speech. I’ve just started working on it, so it’ll still be with me when I say it. I write it alone. I immersed myself in lots of archive images, old matches. I realized that my memory had forgotten certain things! All of this makes me nostalgic. I also looked at some past speeches, those of Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, to inspire me and adapt it to my story. I’ve given quite a few “speeches” in my career, but this one has nothing to do with it: you’re retracing your life! I have never been so nervous. »
His role as French ambassador
“I have always taken my role as an ambassador of French basketball very seriously. My motivation has always been to show Americans that we know how to play basketball in France. Every time I come back here, the public shows me a lot of love. Even if I’m not sure that we really realize in France what the Hall of Fame represents. There is no equivalent in European sports, but if we had to compare, it’s a bit like having received the Ballon d’Or. Americans are big on awards, on celebrating the history of their sport and their athletes. To enter the Hall of Fame is to be in another galaxy, it’s absolute respect! With our European champion team in 2013, we will remain a generation apart. Future players will look at us like I looked at Michael Jordan or others looked at Zizou. »
One of the first Europeans
“I’m going to enter the Hall of Fame the same year as Dirk Nowitzki and Pau Gasol, it’s so cool! We were the first Europeans to take our franchise and lead it to titles. When I see Jokic today, I tell myself that we were behind all this and that makes me proud! »
Popovich’s enthronement
“I don’t know if it’s ever happened that a coach is inducted at the same time as his player! Our relationship will always remain special. He took me very young and by taking me he also took a big risk. Giving the ball to a European leader, while the leader Tim Duncan had not spoken to me during my rookie year, you had to dare. I heard Tim say that I was the hardest player with Pop. We are forever linked. It’s funny that we are inducted together, especially since there will also be Becky Hammon, who I have remained very close to (former player turned coach). »
Wemby, le prochain Hall of Famer ?
“I hear that if he doesn’t have a successful Michael Jordan career, he will have failed his career. It’s hard ! It’s almost unfair to him. I would advise him, as well as other brilliant young players of his generation, to be themselves, not to listen to what is said around, and to go their own way. Only then can we compare. In the USA, they love it! »
The 2023 World Cup
“I am very proud to see the France team at this level and to see the impact that our generation has had. We inspired a lot of young people and I can’t sum it up better than the text message I received from Bouna, Victor’s (Wembanyama) agent, telling me that all of this had been made possible thanks to me, that I had been the pioneer. It is heartwarming. Because we were going very far! European basketball, the referees, nobody respected us. Now, we have a string of medals with the France team. And I can’t wait for us to win a new one in gold! In the end, we only remember those. This generation deserves it. In football, 98 with Zizou and Titi will always remain special, like 2018. I can’t wait for basketball to know that again. »
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