Basketball hero Tony Parker retires
June 10, 2019
French basketball star Tony Parker announced his retirement from the sport on Monday at the age of 37.
Parker, who was born in Belgium but identifies as French-American, wrote on Twitter: "It's with a lot of emotion that I retire from basketball, it was an incredible journey!"
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The former San Antonio Spurs point guard added that he never had expected to come so far, and wanted to express his gratitude.
"Even in my wildest dreams, I never thought I would live all those unbelievable moments with the NBA and the French National Team. Thank you for everything!"
Parker won four NBA titles with the Spurs during a career that spanned 18 seasons. He was the 2007 NBA Finals MVP (most valuable player), and was selected for the annual All Star game six times.
Parker made his name as a creative player with immense speed, most comfortable penetrating with the ball in his hands, either seeking to get to the basket himself or lay the ball off for a teammate. He lacked the long-range shooting game commonly associated with smaller players in his position, but was a reliable shot from closer in.
jsi/msh (AFP, SID)
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