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Par Pierre-Andréa Fraile | Journaliste sportif
Tony Parker’s NBA stint has given him an ultra-full CV, so he can afford to judge the careers of his prestigious counterparts. That’s what he recently did with James Harden’s career, on which he was frank.
While he may represent the older generation of NBA stars to many, he has nonetheless rubbed shoulders on numerous occasions with some of his illustrious successors. After all, Tony Parker didn’t end his career in the league until 2019, which gave him the opportunity to take on more contemporary big names. Including James Harden, whom he challenged no fewer than 38 times in total and beat in 21 of those duels.
Tony Parker has reservations about James Harden’s career
Regular opponents, whether in the regular season or the playoffs, Parker and Harden have always shown great mutual respect. And what could be more logical, especially from the point of view of the former French point guard. It has to be said that his record of achievements on NBA floors is one to be admired. As he recently explained in The Bridge :
Tony Parker: The reason I play sport is to experience emotions and win titles. Otherwise, what’s the point of doing it?
Very attached to the collective success of his teams, TP9 notably deprived his American counterpart of a title by eliminating them from the playoffs in 2017. The Beard could have been crowned champion much earlier, even before joining the Rockets:
Tony Parker: In 2012, James Harden went to the NBA Finals with Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook with Oklahoma City. And over there, they had everything they needed to make a dynasty! They were young, they were strong, they were talented… There was nothing else to say. Except that in 2013, he preferred to leave for Houston because he wanted the big checks, the TV contracts and all that.
A mere 6th man in OKC, Harden chose to step out of the shadows and take on a more important role away from the Thunder, without ever winning a ring since. In this respect, Parker believes that the career of Manu Ginobili is more admirable:
Tony Parker: Would you rather have Manu Ginobili’s career and earn around 200 million in total, or earn 350 million, but not win any titles?
Well, I’d much rather have Ginobili’s career, because to be honest, the 150 million difference isn’t going to change my life. And at least I’ve won four titles, I’m in the Hall of Fame and all that. So James Harden may go to the Hall of Fame – he probably will – but he won’t have won all the titles and experienced all the emotions.
