By Rigas Dardalis/ dardalis@eurohoops.net
One of the greatest European players of all time finally got the elusive Eurobasket trophy. Tony Parker was joyous and relieved as his long time journey finally ended in Slovenia on Sunday night: “Τhis is a big win and it means a lot for French basketball. All the fans who came here, French athletes from other sports that supported us, family, friends, every one is proud. You know something? The journey was unbelievable and I wouldn’t change nothing. Going through pain, groin pains, ups and downs, bronze medal, silver medal, and finally getting the gold, it’s just unbelievable. I feel like I am very lucky, had an unbelievable coaching stuff, unbelievable teammates who believed in me and believed that we can do it together and the final was our best game as a team, in the perfect moment. That means a lot and I am very happy for French sport and French basketball”.
Parker is always present when his national team calls, many other European NBA stars don’t do the same and the French star commented on that by giving credit also to San Antonio Spurs: “I am not a judge. I am proud for playing in the French national team and I am also lucky because I play in a organization like San Antonio, which encourage me to play every year in the national team. One of the first people who called after getting to the semifinals was coach Popovich. He knew how much I wanted the trophy, he always gives me advice and now I will return to the training camp and I will have something to show him”.
His long journey started in 200 and had also a nemesis, called Pau Gasol, who was also a motive :“In 2000 we won the European championship and something happened in my heart. I was like, man than was great basketball, I love playing for my national team. Boris said the same thing and Florant Pietrus, Ronny Turiaf, we all had that fire to play for the national team. And we promised to each other that we are going to win the first one ever for France in senior level. And then Pau Gasol arrived. And it was a long journey, because his generation was very, very good. But he was also the reason for me coming back, like a said to him two months ago in a dinner. He was the motive. He was the one pushing me try and try again. He made the journey even better. We come from a long way, having won the bronze in 2005 and the silver in 2011. We were satisfied then just to be in the final and we lost because Spain played better. This year, however, we couldn’t miss the gold. That’s what I said to my teammates last night. We will get it”.
As for the future, Parker wants coach Vincent Collet to stay with the team – as it was announced officially he will – but he left the door open for his possible absence next year in FIBA World Cup: “I honestly don’t know at this moment. I feel very tired. Next year we will be safe, since we have already qualified also for Eurobasket 2014. It’s a long season, I don’t know what will happen, if I will play again in the finals. The good think is that coach Collet will stay with the national team. It’s a joy for me to work with such a coach, who know how to manage my body and keep me rested and fresh. I would say that for me he is the Gregg Popovich of Europe”.