Walking Into HoF With His “Dad” Who Threw Him Into the “Fire”, Tony Parker Mulls in Disbelief

The San Antonio Spurs‘ dynasty spanning two decades was one of the most impressive feats in NBA history. While a ton of factors played into their dominance, their camaraderie and chemistry were unsung heroes. Even though Tim Duncan deserves immense praise, it was a team effort to compile 20 straight 50-win seasons. One of the more underrated aspects was the play of French Point Guard Tony Parker.

Now, as he finally enters the Hall of Fame with his coach, Parker was in disbelief. However, that did not stop the 6-footer from showcasing that trademark Spurs sass one more time.

Tony Parker has friendly ribs for his coach

It is an iconic achievement, a once-in-a-lifetime award, and the Spurs duo of Tony Parker and Tim Duncan sharing the moment together is the icing on the cake. While the team gets ready for the newest French sensation, Victor Wembanyama, his elder counterpart can enjoy the fruits of his labor.

Before he takes the stage one more time tomorrow, Parker gave a last press conference. But it instantly became one for the ages. When asked about sharing the moment with Gregg Popovich, the man who orchestrated 5 championships for the Spurs, Tony turned the hilarity to 10.

“I just can’t get rid of him… You have to put Pop in the same Hall of Fame as me?” The former Finals MVP couldn’t keep up the facade, however, as he broke into laughter. Instead, he chose to focus on the historical side of things.

“I was told that it was the first time in the Hall of Fame that a player and a coach goes at the same time. So, that’s pretty special.” Before he dived deep into Pop’s impact, though, he had a few more jokes in him. While Gregg is notorious for his interviews, the host chimed in, saying, “And I have to interview him.” 

Parker, in sublime form, responded, “Good luck with that. Good luck getting more than 5 seconds from him. But he promised me that his speech is gonna be more than 5 seconds.” What shenanigans the 5-time Champ gets up to is a tale for tomorrow.

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However, it wasn’t all fun and laughter as Parker gave a touching tribute to his legendary coach.

Pop: A coach, a legend, but most importantly, a friend

While his affinity for caring about his players is legendary, Gregg was also a mentor to a young Tony Parker. In fact, Parker went so far as to call him a “second dad.” – “Pop meant so much for my life, my career. He was like a second dad.”

He recalled how the legendary Pop trusted him as a 19-year-old, inserting him into the starting lineup. “At the end of the day, he threw me in the fire… 5 games into the season, he was like, ‘You’re our starting point guard.’ At 19 years old – and the rest is history. So, I feel very lucky and blessed to go in with Coach Pop.”

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Whether it’s Kawhi Leonard, the iconic Spurs trio, or even Kobe Bryant, Pop won everyone’s hearts. Today, he takes his rightful place among the game’s greatest. For him to share that honor with a friend, a player, might just be the icing on the cake. Here’s to Pop and Tony.

Thank you for the memories.