Most believed Tony Parker would be a part of the San Antonio Spurs forever, but the two decided to go in different directions this offseason, and Parker signed on with the Charlotte Hornets.
Gregg Popovich had been Parker's coach since he came into the league and he said losing him is tough, but he will always be a Spur.
Pop on losing Tony Parker: “That was tough, but he’s going to be in San Antonio forever. … There’s a time and place for everything. This was really good for Tony.”
— Tim Bontemps (@TimBontemps) July 18, 2018
The day that Parker signed with the Hornets, Popovich also released a statement thanking Parker for always giving everything to the Spurs and the San Antonio community.
“It's difficult to put into words how important Tony Parker has been to the Spurs franchise over the past two decades,” Popovich said via UPI. “From his first game in 2001 at age 19, TP has impressed and inspired us — day-after-day, game-after-game, season-after-season — with his passion, dedication and desire.”
“We are grateful to Tony for 17 years of truly amazing memories. While the four championships, six All-Star appearances and four All-NBA selections highlight his resume, the biggest joy for me has been to have the pleasure of watching TP grow up before our eyes. All of us in the Spurs organization will miss having Tony in our program and wish him and his family the best as he continues his remarkable career in Charlotte.”
The Spurs wanted Parker to take on more of a player-coach role that might not involve much playing time on gamedays. The Hornets offered a backup point guard role behind Kemba Walker that should keep him on the court most nights as long as he stays healthy.
Tony Parker probably only has a few years left and the Hornets seem like a good spot to close out the career of a legend.
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