Tony Parker News: Pro Sports Daily

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November 7

Portland Tribune

"A first-half injury to San Antonio guard Tony Parker and a better overall performance by Portland enabled the Trail Blazers to end a two-game home losing streak. Brandon Roy (game-high 24 points) and Greg Oden (14 points, eight rebounds, four blocks in 25 minutes) led the way as Portland won 96-84 and improved to 3-3 and the Spurs fell to 2-3. Roy hit 9 of 15 from the field, while Oden made 6 of 9. Steve Blake (15 points) and Andre Miller (10) added to the Blazer attack, while Joel Przybilla came off the bench for a game-best 13 rebounds. Portland jumped on the Spurs, leading 29-14 after one quarter. Then Parker went down with a sprained ankle, after scoring just four points in 11 minutes. ..."

Portland 96, San Antonio 84: McMillan shakes up starting lineup

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November 7

Oregonian

"Spurs guard Tony Parker reaches for the ball knocked out of his hand as Blazer Andre Miller stands over him. Martell Webster recovered the loose ball for the Blazers. Have to hand it to the Trail Blazers in this early season: There is never a dull moment. On Friday night, the drama and intrigue surrounding the team continued as Andre Miller made a surprising debut in the starting lineup, which was followed by a blistering performance by the Blazers that was nearly ruined by some shaky fourth-quarter play that produced more than a few uneasy stomachs. But when it was all said and done, the Blazers escaped with a much-needed 96-84 win over San Antonio in front of the 75th consecutive ..."

Parker expects to be out a week

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November 7

San Antonio Express-News

"Spurs point guard Tony Parker says the sprained ankle that knocked him from Friday night's 96-84 loss against the Trail Blazers isn't as severe as others he's suffered in his career. Parker missed nine games early last season after spraining the same ankle, and missed a month with the French national team during the summer with a similar injury to his right ankle. "This one is not even close," Parker said late Friday night. "It will be a week, maybe." Parker was injured on a drive late in the second quarter against Portland and did not return. "I went to do an 'in-and-out' move," Parker said. "I went one way and my ankle went the other." X-rays taken at the Rose Garden were negative, and ..."

Derrick Rose faces big challenge right away

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October 29

Chicago Tribune

"If it seems like there have been 27 days of Derrick Rose ankle updates, it's because that's true. Thursday, Rose finally will take the court for the first time since injuring the posterior tibialis tendon in his right ankle Oct. 2 in Indiana. "I can't wait," Rose said. "I'm about 80 percent. Hopefully by the end of the month, I should be back to my regular self. My explosiveness isn't all the way there." Tony Parker's is. Rose knows what that means for his defensive assignment against the Spurs. "His game is running, and I'm going to have to chase him around," Rose said. "He's a very quick and smart player." Coach Vinny Del Negro said Rose's minutes would be determined by how his ankle ..."

Parker, Spurs look sharp in rout

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October 10

San Antonio Express-News

"It was just another preseason game, another score-doesn't-matter exhibition that would be played and forgotten in a matter of hours. For Tony Parker, it was something more. "Now I can take my revenge," Parker said. Parker said this to the scorer's table early in the first quarter of what became a 107-89 victory over traditional Greek power Olympiacos at the AT"

France defeats Russia at Euro basketball worlds

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September 10

San Antonio Express-News

"Golden State center Ronny Turiaf had a double-double, and Spurs point guard Tony Parker added 17 points to help France sweep Group B with a 69-64 win Wednesday over defending champion Russia at the European basketball championship in Gdansk, Poland. France won three games in three days, while Russia and Germany advanced thanks to points differential after they and Latvia were all 1-2 in group play. Turiaf had 18 points and 14 rebounds, and Charlotte Bobcats forward Boris Diaw added 19 points, seven assists and seven rebounds. "It was a tough game, very hard for both teams," Turiaf said. "We stayed focused for 40 minutes and played together, and we are very happy to have beaten a tough ..."

Parker's second-half surge puts France into next round

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September 9

San Antonio Express-News

"Tony Parker had 21 of his team-high 23 points in the second half as France secured a spot in the EuroBasket 2009 qualifying round with a 60-51 victory over Latvia on Tuesday in Gdansk, Poland. Parker scored France's final 10 points one day after scoring the team's last 11 in a victory over Germany. The Spurs point guard committed an offensive foul with 1:40 remaining and France leading 56-51, but Latvia, which scored seven points in the game's final eight minutes, couldn't capitalize. Parker, who had four rebounds, three assists and two steals, made four free throws in the final 21 seconds to seal the victory. France is still having problems at the line. After making 18 of 33 in a victory ..."

Parker plays in French victory

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August 9

San Antonio Express-News

"Tony Parker returned from a right ankle sprain to help France beat Finland 82-72 in a European Championship qualifying match Saturday. The Spurs point guard was used sparingly by coach Vincent Collet. Parker played the first five minutes, scoring three points, as France solidified its spot atop Group B in the Euro playoffs. Spurs draft pick Nando De Colo had eight points and five assists in 25 minutes."

Parker will stay in S.A. for ankle rehab

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August 2

San Antonio Express-News

"Tony Parker's return to San Antonio over the weekend cost the Spurs a round-trip airfare from France for their All-NBA point guard, but it could cost France a spot in the European basketball championship tournament next month. Results of a Saturday examination of Parker's right ankle by the team's medical staff confirmed a mild sprain. The three-time NBA All-Star suffered the injury on July 23 in a game the French national team played against Austria as a warm?up for a qualifying tournament that is to begin this week to determine the final entrant in Eurobasket 2009, the European championship. Parker is to begin rehabilitating the injury in San Antonio before returning to France to rejoin ..."

Guard accused of theft from Spurs' Parker

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June 11

San Antonio Express-News

"A security guard hired to watch over Tony Parker's home has been accused of attempting to hawk on Craigslist an autographed Michael Jordan jersey he swiped from the Spurs guard's personal gymnasium. Bexar County Sheriff's deputies arrested 22-year-old Christopher James Carolan after linking him to a posting on the online classified Web site for the jersey. Deputies said Carolan resigned from the security company a day before the jersey was advertised on the Web site. Carolan's former employer, Price Security Company cooperated with detectives and assisted them in finding Carolan, according to the Sheriff's Office. The investigation also revealed that Carolan had an active felony warrant ..."

Endless summer: Parker's choice

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May 3

San Antonio Express-News

columnist Buck Harvey

"Gregg Popovich tells his players how long they will practice, and what they will eat on the charter. He sends them to the bench when he wants, and he can yell at them when they hesitate. But when it comes to their summers, he's powerless. This drove him crazy with Manu Ginobili. It will eventually with Tony Parker. Parker says he will play for France, just as he's done most summers. His circumstance is far different than Ginobili's. Parker says that. "I'm younger," he said last week. "When I pass that bar, the 30 years, then I'll think about it and learn from what happened with Manu." That doesn't mean Parker can't still get hurt. But Ginobili was limping going in. He would have better ..."

Parker plans to play for France

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April 30

San Antonio Express-News

"Spurs guard Tony Parker says he won't let Manu Ginobili's ill-fated run in last year's Olympics deter him from playing with the French national team this summer. Ginobili aggravated an ankle injury while playing for Argentina last August in Beijing, and eventually required surgery. He missed 43 games this season, including all of the playoffs, while recovering from that injury and others. After the Spurs' Game 5 ouster against Dallas, Parker said he plans to go through with his decision to join the French team. "For me, it will be a little bit different," said Parker, who turns 27 in May. "Manu is over 30. I'm younger." Unlike Ginobili last year, Parker also enters the offseason relatively ..."

Sure, Parker's impressive but he can't hold a candle to original Mav

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April 26

Fort Worth Star-Telegram

"Tony Parker's 31 points at halftime had AAC folks abuzz with flashbacks to a long-ago Spur named Gervin. But former Mavs owner Don Carter was talking Winford Gladstone Boynes III. Winford who? "Winford Boynes … out of Oklahoma or somewhere," recalled Carter as he left his courtside seat in search of a hotdog. "I mean, [Boynes] took it away from The Iceman that night." What night? Opening night for the original Mavericks - Oct. 11, 1980 - at Reunion Arena, when they beat the Spurs 103-92. Boynes, a 6-foot-6 journeyman guard who didn't last the season in Dallas, led all Mavs scorers with 21 points. George Gervin, aka The Iceman, finished with a much less-surprising 33 points. (Carter ..."

Dallas slows Parker in second half

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April 19

Dallas Morning News

"Even though Tony Parker was the most valuable player of the 2007 NBA Finals, the San Antonio Spurs' path to four NBA championships traveled through Tim Duncan. But on Saturday, when the Spurs' offensive focus switched away from Parker and more toward a sub-100 percent Duncan, San Antonio looked anything but O'Brien Trophy caliber. "We went back and forth [between Parker and Duncan]; there was no conscious effort for one or the other," said coach Gregg Popovich of his team's offense, which grew increasingly stagnant as Game 1 turned from an early Spurs stroll to a Mavericks runaway at the AT"

Parker takes shot at greatness

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April 17

San Antonio Express-News

"On a recent Friday morning that could pass for any other morning, Tony Parker is hard at work, lofting up practice jumpers. Some go in. Some skip off the rim. Parker's expression never changes: Eyes focused, tongue wagging from the left side of his mouth, a portrait in concentration. Here on the Spurs' practice court, the benefit isn't in the outcome. It is in the action. "Repetition, repetition, repetition," Parker said. "That's the key." Catch, shoot, repeat. This has been Parker's routine for the past four years. His jump shot, he says, "is always a work in progress." In his eighth season since entering the league as little more than a French layup machine, Parker has built up an ..."

Parker joins exclusive company

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March 31

San Antonio Express-News

"Spurs point guard Tony Parker was surprised to learn his first seven points in Sunday's 90-86 loss at New Orleans had brought him to a significant scoring milestone. He's the fourth player in Spurs history to reach 10,000 points in silver and black. "How would I know that?" Parker said after the Spurs posed for their annual team photo at the AT"

Magic's Howard, Spurs' Parker named Players of the Week

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March 30

NBA.com

"The Orlando Magic's Dwight Howard and the San Antonio Spurs' Tony Parker today were named the Eastern and Western Conference Players of the Week, respectively, for games played Monday, March 23, through Sunday, March 29. Howard led Orlando to a 3-0 record, averaging 23.7 points on .614 shooting from the field, 14.3 rebounds and 3.3 blocks for the Magic, which clinched its second consecutive Southeast Division title. During Orlando's 84-82 win over Boston on March 25, Howard posted 24 points, 21 rebounds and four blocks. Orlando owns a half-game lead on Boston in the race for the second seed in the Eastern Conference playoff race. Parker averaged 27.5 points and 8.3 assists in leading San ..."

Duncan says Parker an MVP candidate

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March 27

San Antonio Express-News

"Being a two-time winner of the NBA's most coveted individual award gives Spurs captain Tim Duncan a certain gravitas when it comes to evaluating the closest Most Valuable Player race in recent memory. Who does Duncan like in this season's race to the finish for MVP? "I'm staying as far away from that question as I possibly can," Duncan said as he walked toward the bus that would take the Spurs to their charter flight out of Atlanta after one of their best road victories since the All-Star break. Choosing among the Lakers' Kobe Bryant, Cleveland's LeBron James and Miami's Dwyane Wade is fraught with peril for any expert, even one with Duncan's credentials. There is one bit of advice for NBA ..."

Guards clamp down on Parker

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March 23

Houston Chronicle

"Tony Parker had his customary 22 points for the Spurs on Sunday, but the Rockets were thrilled with the defense of Aaron Brooks and Kyle Lowry , who held him to 9-of-24 shooting. "I thought our point guards did a good job defensively," coach Rick Adelman said. "In the last game, he got four or five back cuts on us. Tonight, he got one early in the game and didn't get any more after that." Lowry had 11 points, making five of nine shots. And even though Brooks made just two of 10 shots, Ron Artest praised his offensive play. "I told the point guards they got us this victory," Artest said. "Aaron didn't score the ball a lot, but he led us. He made a big shot, big passes, big hockey-assist ..."

Knowing just how to do it, Parker falls

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February 26

San Antonio Express-News

"Tim Duncan was out again because of pain in his one "good" knee. Manu Ginobili was out again because of pain in his one "good" ankle. And there was Tony Parker, on the first Spurs possession Wednesday night, driving until he fell on his one, good head. These three win together, and they hurt together. The Spurs would have worried at the latest, except it was Parker. Maybe no one in the league crashes to the floor as often as he does, and how he falls outlines his prime as much as his jump shots and floaters do. After all, he keeps getting up. For Parker, maybe it's easier to play as he has these past two nights. Without Duncan and Ginobili, he doesn't have to worry whether it's his turn. ..."

Parker too much for Blazers

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February 26

San Antonio Express-News

"Over the course of the past week, the Spurs have learned more than they ever wanted to about human anatomy. Thanks to Manu Ginobili, they learned where the distal fibula is. Thanks to Tim Duncan, they learned the difference between tendinitis and tendonosis. They also learned something else: Tony Parker, with two healthy legs built for speed, can be a pretty good cure for whatever ails them. With Duncan and Ginobili sidelined for the second-straight night Wednesday, Parker carried the Spurs to their second-straight victory, pumping in 39 points to help bury Portland 99-84 at the AT"

Parker's plenty for Spurs in win

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February 25

San Antonio Express-News

"Manu Ginobili sat behind the Spurs bench in a black blazer. Tim Duncan remained behind the scenes, ostensibly because blazers have never fit his fashion sense. The Spurs' Big Three was reduced to a Big One on Tuesday night at the AT"

Parker hopes to return to Phoenix soon

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January 29

San Antonio Express-News

"Spurs guard Tony Parker and Suns stars Steve Nash and Shaquille O'Neal find out tonight if they've earned the call to be 2009 All-Star Game reserves. The announcement is scheduled to happen a few hours before the Spurs and Suns play at the US Airways Center, where the All-Star contest will take place Feb. 15. Spurs forward Tim Duncan already has his spot in the game reserved, voted a starter for the 10th time in his career, and two of the league's most successful coaches believe he is having one of his best seasons of the past several campaigns. Jazz coach Jerry Sloan was effusive in his praise of Duncan, who scored 24 points and had nine rebounds, eight assists and three blocks in ..."

Two missed shots leave Parker vexed

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January 12

San Antonio Express-News

"Spurs point guard Tony Parker approached Sunday's game against the Orlando Magic intent on atoning for his performance against the Magic on Dec. 18, when he missed 14-of-17 shots in a 90-78 loss. Had it not been for his 21st and 22nd shots in Sunday's game, Parker might have departed the AT"

Spurs' Parker looking like an All-Star

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January 11

San Antonio Express-News

"Every NBA player, every season, has a night or two he'd rather forget. For Spurs guard Tony Parker this season, Dec. 18 at Orlando was one of those nights. With a national television audience looking on, Parker went 3 of 17 from the field, scored just nine points and had as many turnovers as assists (four) in the Spurs' 90-78 loss. To make matters worse, his Orlando counterpart, Jameer Nelson, had 24 points, inviting his Magic teammates to ride him piggyback to victory. To Parker, the whole night seemed like a bad dream. Or a bad joke. And the charter flight home was no picnic either. "It's impossible to play good every game," Parker said, philosophical now that the worst night of his ..."

Spurs' Parker should be All-Star

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December 28

San Antonio Express-News

"For all the justifiable attention paid to Roger Mason Jr. after his game-winning 3-point shot on Christmas Day, the pass he got from Spurs point guard Tony Parker went largely unappreciated. You have to watch the replay of the final sequence of the Spurs' 91-90 victory several times to know that Parker's pass was the most difficult part of the play. At full speed, and on the dribble after a crossover got him past Grant Hill at the top of the key, Parker leaned to his right, took a bump from Hill and fired a perfect, one-handed dart. Had the pass made Mason reach, one way or the other, or not been as crisp, the Spurs' 3-point ace never would have been able to get it up as accurately or beat ..."

Parker's return 'getting close'

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November 25

San Antonio Express-News

"One star guard back from injury and one to go for the Spurs. Manu Ginobili made his season debut in Monday's 94-81 victory at Memphis, completing two months of rehab from offseason ankle surgery. Next up for the Spurs' overworked medical staff: getting Tony Parker back in the lineup as well. Parker has missed eight games since spraining his left ankle against Miami on Nov. 7. Though no exact game has been targeted for his return, Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said he expects his team to get its starting point guard back sooner, rather than later. "He's getting close," Popovich said of Parker's progress. "It's not going to be three weeks. It's not going to be two weeks. It will probably be ..."

Spurs prepare for life without Parker

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November 10

San Antonio Express-News

"With an MRI exam confirming the initial diagnosis of a Grade 2 sprain of Spurs point guard Tony Parker's left ankle, the team is preparing to be without the All-Star for four weeks. Parker rolled the ankle when he landed awkwardly after a drive to the basket with 2:06 remaining in the first quarter of Friday's loss to the Miami Heat at AT&T Center. Parker's injury leaves the Spurs with only two true point guards, veteran Jacque Vaughn, who did not play in the last two games, and rookie George Hill, who has been playing with a flexible splint on his sprained left thumb. General manager R.C. Buford did not rule out signing another point guard. Since the Spurs already have the league-maximum ..."

Spurs' Parker out 4 weeks with ankle sprain

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November 9

NBA.com

"Tony Parker will be out about four weeks with a sprained left ankle, a critical blow to the San Antonio Spurs, who are off to their worst start in 12 years. An MRI taken Saturday confirmed the injury to the Spurs' star guard, who was hurt during a 99-83 loss to the Miami Heat on Friday -- two nights after scoring a career-high 55 points against the Minnesota Timberwolves. Parker was driving for a layup when he rolled his ankle. The 26-year-old Parker was using crutches and wearing a protective boot while watching Sunday's practice. He was second in the league in scoring behind LeBron James at 27.4 points per game. The Spurs are 1-4 and play at home against the New York Knicks on Tuesday. ..."

Parker could miss up to four weeks

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November 8

San Antonio Express-News

"Just two days after he scored 55 points against the Minnesota Timberwolves, Spurs All-Star point guard Tony Parker suffered a sprained left ankle late in the first quarter of the Spurs' Friday night game against the Miami Heat at AT"

Parker hurt: Spurs down to Big One

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November 8

San Antonio Express-News

"The Spurs lost 99-83 on Friday to a Miami Heat team that won 15 games last season. On any other night, the AT"

Parker's 55 night underscores Spurs' void

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November 7

San Antonio Express-News

"The Spurs said, "Merci beaucoups" to Tony Parker after he bailed them out of a loss to a mediocre Timberwolves team on Wednesday night. Had Parker not saved the Spurs from an 0-4 start, it would have been a collective "Sacre bleu!" Parker's 55-point, 10-assist performance pushed him past all but two legendary Spurs, David Robinson and George Gervin, on the team's single-game scoring list. He also joined legends Oscar Robertson and Michael Jordan as the only NBA players to get at least 55 points and 10 assists in a game. Most importantly, it got them a 129-125 double overtime victory in Minnesota. "Obviously," said Tim Duncan after the curtain came down on Wednesday's drama at the Target ..."

Parker goes wild in Spurs' win

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November 6

San Antonio Express-News

"Tony Parker's knees were wrapped in ice bags, both feet stuck, ankle deep, in a tub of ice water. The Spurs guard looked in amazement as a statistics sheet floated in the icy water between his legs in the visitors locker room at the Target Center. Rookie George Hill approached after the Spurs' first victory of the season, a 129-125 double-overtime thriller over the Minnesota Timberwolves and tapped Parker on the shoulder. "I've seen you score 70 points before," Hill told Parker, "but that was in a video game. I've never seen anybody do what you did tonight with my own eyes." What Parker, whose visage graces the cover of the popular "NBA Live" video game, did on Wednesday night was heroic ..."

San Antonio's Tony Parker in a 55 zone

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November 6

Minneapolis Star Tribune

"If all the world is indeed a stage -- and Target Center's court fabulously became one Wednesday night -- the arena's public-address announcer would have preceded San Antonio's 129-125 double-overtime victory over the Timberwolves with these hushed words borrowed from the theatre: Playing the part of Manu Ginobili tonight is Tony Parker. And then some. Parker shattered his career high by scoring 55 points -- the most ever against a Timberwolves team -- on a night when the Wolves fell to 1-3 but for the first time this season displayed the team they could become. Last season, Ginobili single-handedly won a pair of games at Target Center by scoring 31 points in November and 44 in February. ..."

Tony Parker's stature lands him on cover of 'NBA Live'

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October 24

San Antonio Express-News

"Spurs fever is getting ready to infect San Antonio once again. The symptoms are lack of sleep (from watching late-night games), sore throats (due to screaming, "Go Spurs Go!" ) and extreme paranoia. Spurs fans are known for smelling conspiracies constructed to keep the black and silver out of the championship series. Another symptom is the easily bruised feelings of those Gregg Popovich loyalists. It happens whenever they detect the slightest lack of national respect for the team's earned dynasty stature. But this season there's one big salute for the Spur's starting point guard and international celebrity Tony Parker. He's the cover athlete for the EA Sports basketball video game "NBA ..."

Parker drives Spurs past Pacers

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October 19

San Antonio Express-News

"Only minutes into his first training camp with the Spurs, Salim Stoudamire suffered a strained groin. The cause was a common one. "I was guarding Tony Parker in a one-on-one drill," Stoudamire said. "He made a move, I went to cut him off ... and that's how I injured my groin." On the shelf since Sept. 30, Stoudamire finally saw his first action of the preseason Saturday. Luckily for him, unluckily for the Indiana Pacers, Parker was on his team this time. At times running what seemed to be a one-man layup drill, Parker scored 19 points and had eight assists in 23 minutes, leading the Spurs to a 106-98 victory at the AT"

Parker video pic faux pas?

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October 8

San Antonio Express-News

"With the EA Sports "NBA Live '09" video game hitting stores Tuesday with Spurs point guard Tony Parker adorning the cover, Parker fielded requests from some of his game-playing teammates for copies of the popular game. He also took some kidding about the cover photo that shows a heavily-muscled Parker, on the dribble. "He looks all 'swole up' on the cover," said swingman Ime Udoka, one of the Spurs' stronger players, "and I know he's not that big in person. That's the one thing I noticed. It looked like they put my body on his face." Parker called his selection for the cover a great honor and a big surprise. "I've been working with them for five or six years," he said. "I thought it was a ..."

Spurs: Five Burning Questions

June 1

San Antonio Express-News

"Who is most likely to return? The Spurs, who have five players set to become free agents, have definite interest in re-signing Kurt Thomas, and that interest has only risen since Tiago Splitter's apparent decision to spend the next two seasons in Spain. They will also discuss re-upping with Michael Finley, though this runs counter to their need to get younger on the wing. Robert Horry, despite his protestations to the contrary, will probably wind up retired. Damon Stoudamire isn't expected back. The Spurs probably won't re-sign DerMarr Johnson, either, but it wouldn't be surprising to see them give him a shot in training camp."

Spurs' Tony Parker hangs tough

May 25

Los Angeles Times

"Who would have known that Gregg Popovich, from East Chicago -- that's Indiana, not Illinois -- could parlez a little Francais like his point guard protégé? "Laissez faire," the Spurs coach gruffly says of Tony Parker's first workout before the NBA draft for San Antonio seven years ago. Translated, it amounts to let whatever is going to happen, happen. It's a French phrase that described a then-19-year-old French player. Parker was dismal in that workout; he wasn't ready to play for the Spurs. Not Popovich's Spurs, a squad drilled in discipline and details. Au revoir, Popovich was willing to say. "Luckily, we had a second one," Popovich said of inviting Parker back for another ..."

A tired issue: Parker gets the asterisk

May 24

San Antonio Express-News

columnist Buck Harvey

"No one, including Phil Jackson, wanted to make too much of this. Jackson even provided the Spurs with their excuse, talking again about the fatigue factor. But Popovich, still relaxed, went to the postgame podium and identified the one area that fatigue has less to do with. Tony Parker. If the Spurs are going to come back from another 0-2 hole, and if Manu Ginobili isn’t healing, Parker has to become what he’s been in the past."