Former French basketball player Tony Parker, star of the San Antonio Spurs, became this Saturday the first French player to enter the NBA Hall of Fame, which brings together the best players of all time in the American basketball league. The former leader will be a member along with two other Europeans, the German Dirk Nowitzki and the Spaniard Pau Gasol.
Tony Parker, four-time NBA champion with San Antonio, named best player in the final in 2007, six-time All-Star, is the first Frenchman in history to enter the Hall of Fame, the prestigious institution announced on Saturday. The former leader will be officially a member of this “basketball pantheon”, along with two other Europeans, the German Dirk Nowitzki and the Spaniard Pau Gasol, as well as the American Dwyane Wade, also admitted, during a induction ceremony scheduled for August 12 in Springfield, Massachusetts.
Europe strong for the first time in the Hall of Fame
This 2023 vintage is exceptional in more than one way, because Europe finds itself in force for the first time in the Hall of Fame, Dwyane Wade being the only American to complete the quartet of former players. An inveterate scorer, Nowitzki is the sixth best scorer in NBA history (31,560 points in 1,522 games) in the regular season. First European elected MVP (best player) of the regular season in 2007, the “Wunderkid” guided the Mavericks, his team of always, in the only title of their history in 2011.
Gasol was crowned champion twice with the Lakers in 2009 and 2010, in the role of lieutenant of Kobe Bryant. Recently, their numbers have been enthroned side by side on the ceiling of the LA hall. The Barcelonian also has one of the finest records on the international level, once world champion (2006) and three times European champion (2009, 2011, 2015).
Tony Parker, the first European elected MVP of a final
Parker, winner of Euro 2013 with France, can above all boast of having more champion rings than his two acolytes (2003, 2005, 2007 and 2014), all won with Spurs, alongside Tim Duncan and Manu Ginobili, already members of the Hall of Fame, with whom he formed one of the most formidable “Big 3” in history. He was also the first European elected MVP of a final in 2007.
Among the other personalities named are Gregg Popovich, five-time champion with San Antonio and the most successful coach in the NBA, as well as Becky Hamon, who was the latter’s assistant from 2014 to 2021, becoming for a short interim the first female head coach of a professional men’s team.
Source: Europe1
Brayden White, a veteran sports writer at Global Happening, brings his wealth of knowledge and expertise to the sports section. With over a decade of experience, he is committed to delivering high-quality coverage of the latest games and events.
