NBA star Parker gets a taste of road life with Tour de France adventure
As a boy growing up in the heart of the country, basketball player Tony Parker couldn’t avoid the Tour de France even if he tried.
For three weeks every year, he and his sports-mad family would gather round and watch the world’s largest sporting event, full of admiration as riders pushed themselves to the limit.
Now the NBA star has had a taste of the real thing.
A well-respected ambassador of TISSOT, official timekeeper of the Tour de France, Parker took to the roads of Albertville on Le Tour’s first rest day, joining Team Katusha Alpecin for a jaunt around the world-famous course.
As a Frenchman and a cycling fan riding with one of the best teams in the world, it was nothing short of a dream come true.
“I grew up in France and so the Tour de France is a huge event – for three weeks that is all they talk about,” he said.
“Growing up with my brothers, you hear about the Tour and you start following because it is one of the biggest sporting events.
“It was definitely new to spend some time with professionals, riding for an hour with them was just a unique experience for me – I’ve never done this before so I had no idea about the technology behind cycling, changing gears and things like that.
“That’s why I love being with TISSOT, we always do new stuff with unique experiences and I had a great time.”
“It was nice spending time with the guys, talking about their world and what they have to do to get through the Tour de France.
“I always thought it was an amazing amount of effort to do it, a real challenge, so it was great to exchange the different experiences.”
The son of former basketball star Tony Parker Sr, it seemed inevitable that footsteps would be followed on to the court – even from a young age.
But as a keen footballer, it was only when he saw the rise of Michael Jordon that prompted Parker Jr. to take the ball in hand as opposed to at his feet.
It’s a move that has certainly paid off. Four NBA Championships have already come his way with the San Antonio Spurs after early life in the French league, first entering the NBA draft in 2001.
Quickly becoming their point guard, it’s Parker’s pace that has become his weapon of choice, with a turn of skill and agility not out of place with the traits of a Tour de France sprinter. The Katusha Alpecin team could quickly see that.
But the man who helped France to their maiden European gold in 2013 is not desiring a career change just yet.
Only this month he has moved to the Charlotte Hornets, with another watching brief potentially in store for the Belgian-born athlete when the 2019 Tour begins in Brussels.
And who knows, maybe his words of wisdom to Katusha Alpecin could prove inspirational in 12 months’ time.
“I think it is very cool to ride with Tony Parker,” said rider Marcel Kittel.
“For me personally, it is always a great experience to have sports meet each other and to make that happen today, cycling meeting basketball to do something together, is not really what is expected and so it is really cool.”
