NBA – A former teammate reveals Tony Parker’s bête noire in San Antonio: “He took fare”

Publié le
Knuckleheads Podcast (DR)

Par Guillaume Kagni | Journaliste sportif

Tony Parker was an essential element in the smooth running of the Spurs dynasty. But, like everyone else, he sometimes came across players who got in his way. His former team-mate Ian Mahinmi revealed the name of his bête noire.

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If there’s one thing that’s clear in the NBA, it’s that you don’t just need talent to succeed over the long term. You also need a bit of luck, the trust of a franchise and, above all, a certain business sense. Because in the world’s biggest league, it’s all about money and profit, and baskets can’t necessarily change that.

If a veteran earns several tens of millions of dollars a season, then he’ll have an important role in the rotation, even if a player relegated to the end of the bench is more effective than him in training. It’s a tough reality, and one that can shatter dreams. Ian Mahinmi, a champion with the Mavericks in 2011, went in this direction for online betting site “Parions Sport”.

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Tony Parker’s bête noire at training camp

I’ve seen exceptional players get cut in the NBA before they’ve even finished their first training camp. One guy who immediately comes to mind is Keith Langford. When he arrived in San Antonio, he was left-handed. In my eyes, after James Harden, he’s the most talented left-hander I’ve ever seen on a court. I saw him take crazy shots. He was unstoppable.

Tony Parker was on him, but everyone tried to defend on him. Everyone took a tariff. The NBA is all about numbers. There wasn’t room in the group, he didn’t get his lucky star. And then, there are players who agree to stay in the NBA even to be on the bench, and others who prefer to leave for Europe if they don’t get any minutes. Keith went on to have a real career in Europe.

A graduate of the prestigious University of Kansas and unselected in the 2005 draft, Keith Langford got his chance with the Spurs during a training camp. It was an opportunity for him to step on Tony Parker and the other defenders, without actually making the squad. Rather than sit on the bench, he chose to use his left hand in the EuroLeague.

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