After the Los Angeles Lakers traded Shaquille O'Neal, one of Kobe Bryant's well-known teammates during the rebuilding process was Smush Parker. While Parker was little-known to begin the 2005-06 NBA season, he ended up starting 162 out of 164 games for head coach Phil Jackson.
In Parker's two seasons with the Lakers, it is well-documented he clashed with Bryant. Although the point guard played 28 more games in the league, he has primarily played overseas since. On ‘The Premium Pete Show,' the former Laker made some interesting comments about Tony Parker according to Jeff Garcia of Spurs Zone:
“[I] gave Tony Parker buckets because he has my last name.”
“I destroyed Tony Parker when I played against him. He was too small.”
Over the years, Parker has made some interesting comments about his time with the Lakers, but destroying the San Antonio Spurs guard is questionable. According to Bleacher Report, he only averaged 7.1 points and 2.2 assists in 12 games against the Spurs.
While one Parker has been out of the league, the other Parker is recovering from a quad injury. The future Hall of Famer is expected to return in January of the 2017-18 season and it will be interesting to see if he can regain his form at 35 years old.
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