How Tony Parker is carrying on the Spurs' tradition
Tony Parker knew the day would come when Tim Duncan wasn’t going to be there to palm the back of his head after a big shot or to wrap his arm around Parker’s neck, bringing him in for an encouraging word if he ever made a mistake. Duncan is gone now, and will soon have his No. 21 jersey hanging in the rafters at AT&T Center, and Parker has now slid into a role – as the San Antonio Spurs’ longest-tenured player – that he has patiently waited to accept.
Duncan’s presence had always made it easier for Parker to defer to the older veteran, as he often did through his first 15 seasons in the league. But now it’s his turn, and Parker feels prepared to assume the responsibilities of leading and continuing a legacy, as Duncan did more than a decade ago after David Robinson retired.
“It’s no pressure, it comes natural,” Parker told The Vertical. “I just want to make sure we keep winning and keep the tradition going. Obviously, we’re always going to miss Timmy and you can’t replace Timmy. We just have to do it a different way.”
The Spurs’ first season in the post-Duncan era resembles the previous 19 with him in the ways that always mattered to the organization: They are winning games and considered a Western Conference contender. Coach Gregg Popovich and general manager R.C. Buford built a franchise that remained competitive through Duncan’s decline – raiding overseas talent to get future Hall of Famers Parker and Manu Ginobili, winning a draft-night trade for Kawhi Leonard and winning free agency for the first time by landing LaMarcus Aldridge – so that wasn’t going to suddenly change when he decided to quietly walk away.
“[There are] a lot of talented teams in the NBA, but not everybody can sustain it for 15, 20 years. [There’s] a reason for that, though. Because everybody is so unselfish and nobody lets their ego be above the team,” Parker told The Vertical. “I think it’s unbelievable, through David, Timmy, Manu, me, then Kawhi, LaMarcus. It starts with the top. R.C., Coach Pop, the way they carry themselves, it’s all about the team. That’s what we want to do.
“I always say I’m very blessed. Sixteen years, still playing in the league, still doing what I’m doing and be the starting point guard for a great organization, that’s a blessing for me.”
That get-over-yourself culture, which resulted in a brilliant run of sustained success, is still intact for the Spurs. And Parker’s recent transition from All-Star to ancillary scorer has been an example of how Duncan’s unassuming, selfless manner permeates. Whether it is a balky knee or tender hamstrings, the emergence of Leonard or the arrival of Aldridge, Parker has recognized that advancing age and those alterations to the Spurs’ universe have necessitated an adjustment to his game. But he doesn’t believe that it gives anyone a license to discount his contributions on the floor.
“People always want to bury me, but you don’t let that affect you,” Parker told The Vertical. “I don’t really care about that. Just focus on the team and do what you have to do to win the game. That’s my focus. Make the Spurs win, even if it’s me or not me [playing well], I’m still part of the Spurs.”
Popovich has always been in frequent communication with his point guard, but said Parker’s knowledge of the system and understanding of his limitations have helped him remain integral despite less offensive production. The 34-year-old Parker has taken it more upon himself to speak up, to get his teammates where they need to be, to feed Leonard and Aldridge when they have obvious mismatches and to, as Popovich said, “understand when we’re in mud and need something different.”
“I’ve said it many times: As long as Pop is happy, and the Spurs are happy with what I’m doing, that’s all I care about,” Parker told The Vertical. “I can’t control what people are going to think. Or what they think I should do, because I’m not going to let my ego be above the team. The team is the most important, and for me, if I have to defer or be less aggressive to make sure Kawhi keeps going and LaMarcus be who is, I will do it. I never cared about my numbers.”
Parker, averaging 9.7 points per game, hasn’t led the Spurs in scoring in more than two years and isn’t among the team’s three leading scorers for the first time since his rookie year, with offseason signing Pau Gasol (10.8 points) and backup point guard Patty Mills (10.9 points) contributing more offensively. Already this season, Parker has gone from being ignored to hitting don’t-forget-about-me jumpers in Charlotte last week and from scoring a season-high 20 in Washington last Saturday night to scoring two against Orlando on Tuesday. After observing how Duncan handled becoming less of a focal point, Parker is learning to take advantage of his shrinking opportunities.
“That’s every day. That’s for every player, except for Kawhi and LaMarcus,” Parker told The Vertical. “Kawhi and LaMarcus are our two main guys. We’re going to go through them, and they’re going to score. Everybody else, you have to stay ready. Sometimes it’s going to be me. Sometimes it’s going to Pau. Sometimes it’s going to Patty Mills or Danny Green. Everybody else has to stay ready, and even if you don’t have a lot of shots, you know you have to make the ones that you get. That’s the reality.”
Parker considers himself more refined than finished and has no intention of leaving the game when his current deal is up after next season. He retired from the French national team last summer with the hope of extending his career in San Antonio. “I want to play five more seasons after this one,” Parker told The Vertical. “That’s my dream, if I stay healthy … and Pop still wants me.”
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