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Par Guillaume Kagni | Journaliste sportif
Since his retirement, Tony Parker has liked to talk about his career and his mentality, the things that have made him the player and the man he is. Such was the case again in recent days, when he appeared on Aurélien Tchouaméni’s show.
For a few more years, Tony Parker should enjoy the title of best French basketball player in history, having won not only with the Spurs in the NBA, but also with the French national team. And it’s thanks to his immense influence that there are so many French players in the league today. He was a precursor, an inspiration, proof that France can make its mark on the other side of the Atlantic.
Because he became the model, that means he didn’t have one. He didn’t grow up watching the exploits of another Blue, he didn’t know the ideal way to join the world’s biggest league and take on his idols. Yet, from an early age, the leader knew where he wanted to go, he knew what he wanted to achieve in his career, and he succeeded.
Tony Parker gives an honest opinion on his childhood
This is what he explained to Aurélien Tchouaméni during his appearance on the excellent show “The Bridge”. Asked about his early years and the moment that helped him decide what he wanted to do with his life, TP recounted how, when he was barely 10, he was already on the pitch with the desire to become better. Behind his sometimes redundant speeches on the French mentality, there have always been concrete actions.
When you say things in France, it bothers people. Especially when you’re young, even if things have changed a bit. Back then, when I said I wanted to be the first Frenchman in the NBA, people thought I was crazy. If you put it in context, back then there were no Europeans and no French in the league. It could have come across as arrogance, but as I had an American father, I saw it as confidence.
I grew up in a home where my father was American, so I had confidence, and my mother was Dutch, so I knew how to keep my feet on the ground. I feel like I grew up with the best of both worlds. I made my own explosive cocktail and I knew that some players would be bigger, faster or stronger, but they’d never be better mentally.
While he followed his father on his various travels, Tony Parker didn’t pick up the ball simply for fun or to share with other youngsters his age. Not even 10 years old, the point guard was already focused on performance and building his dream. A vision rewarded with titles and millions of dollars.
