Emotions were running high as San Antonio Spurs legend Tony Parker joined his buddies Tim Duncan and Manu Ginobili in the Hall of Fame. Winning 4 NBA titles and 1 Finals MVP, Parker helped create a dynasty in San Antonio. One surprising person he decided to credit during his speech was his “idol” Michael Jordan. From being a fanboy of the Chicago Bulls to playing for MJ’s Hornets, Parker lived the dream. The 41-year-old opened up about his close relationship with MJ in his HOF speech. However, things weren’t always smooth for him.
When Parker decided to join hands with his idol in Charlotte, the Spurs legend did not know what to do. He even called it “weird“. However, it now looks like Parker has come a long way.?
Once a fanboy, always a fanboy of His Airness
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It’s safe to say, Tony Parker wouldn’t be here if not for Michael Jordan. The Bulls GOAT inspired a generation of young hoopers. One of them was Parker, who has now received the highest honor of his basketball career. Every time the 4x champion received some credits, he always reflected it towards his idol, MJ.
To make his career even more special, Parker decided to leave the Spurs dynasty to join the Charlotte Hornets. He did this only to spend his final few years alongside Jordan. The $1.7 billion worth franchise was owned by Jordan until he decided to sell his ownership a few weeks back.
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In his HOF speech today, Parker had heavy praise for His Airness. The 41-year-old revealed, “I want to thank Michael Jordan, he was my idol growing up… People say never meet your idol, but for me, it was the opposite it was unbelievable & now I have a great relationship w him & can now call him a friend.”
Tony Parker on Hornets’ Michael Jordan:
“To the @hornets I want to thank Michael Jordan, he was my idol growing up. He is the reason why I wanted to play basketball he was my inspiration. I had poster of him in my whole room” says @tonyparker.
“People say never met your idol,… pic.twitter.com/OGUY3HTapL
— Landon Buford (@LandonBuford) August 13, 2023
However, this was not the case when he joined the Hornets initially!
Tony Parker once revealed an awkward moment involving Michael Jordan
According to Parker, “it was weird,” in the beginning. After Jordan shared his contact, Parker went clueless. He stated, “I didn?t even know what to put in my phone… Do I put ‘Michael’, ‘Michael Jordan’, ‘MJ’…I didn?t know what to do.”
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"At the beginning it was weird … I didn’t even know what to put in my phone – do I put “Michael,” “Michael Jordan,” “MJ” – I didn’t know what to do."
Tony Parker discusses what it’s been like to go from idolizing Michael Jordan to developing a relationship with the 🐐 pic.twitter.com/xx3pZp3G3z
— Andscape (@andscape) May 5, 2020
However, Parker ensured the relationship only improved. He added,?“He will text me after every game, you know, about the young guys and how we improving, you know, with the team…The relationship is different now for sure.”
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Read more: ?My Little Roger?: Basketball Great Tony Parker and His Girlfriend Pour Love on Roger Federer
What are your thoughts on Parker’s kind words for Michael Jordan? Let us know in the comments below.