When Tony Parker came off the bench in late January, it cut not just an eight-year stretch in which he played as one of the Spurs’ First Five. It ended his status as a starter in the National Basketball Association, no mean feat for a six-time All-Star and former Finals Most Valuable Player. Through 17 years and four championships, he had hitherto been a substitute only 20 times, and yet, by all indications, he accepted his fate and handed over the reins to sophomore Dejounte Murray without complaint.
For Parker, the development was borne of a complete understanding that the time had come; he was 35 with a brittle body, and the same team-oriented culture that had afforded him all the opportunities for success called on him to subscribe to it anew. It was the Spurs way, plain and simple. And at the time, the narrative had head coach Gregg Popovich meeting with him and explaining why the move was being made, never mind that collective objectives always trumped personal pursuits within the organization, and that the deal was done in any case.
Yesterday, Parker shed more light on the turn of events via a long letter published in The Players’ Tribune. The idea to give up his role as the Spurs’ starting point guard was his, he said. “I came up to Pop one day and I told him my thoughts: It was time for Dejounte to take over full time.” The move, he explained, was “for the good of Dejounte’s development, and for the good of the team. Pop agreed, and thanked me. And then I went and had the same conversation with Dejounte. He was grateful.”
For fans used to seeing NBA stars pampered by franchises and ultimately having their way, the distinction is important. Here was Parker, perfectly within his rights under the NBA’s New Normal to insist that he continue to start. Instead, he initiated the change, in part because his status as a leader commanded it, and in larger measure because, well, it’s how the Spurs have long operated. There has never been an “I” in “TEAM,” but few in the league substantiate the words with action.
Under the circumstances, it’s not without irony that Parker now finds himself with the Hornets. His transfer, he disclosed, stems from a belief that there is still much he can do, and that he won’t be able to do it with the Spurs. For the most part, though, the change of address underscores the primacy of the black and silver. It’s also why the likes of Tim Duncan and David Robinson thrived as lifers, and why Kawhi Leonard is up north. The “Thank You” tome in The Players’ Tribune is well earned and well deserved.
Anthony L. Cuaycong has been writing Courtside since BusinessWorld introduced a Sports section in 1994.
