Tony Parker is widely regarded as one of the greatest point guards of all time. Corn for Shaquille O’Neal, he owes his success only to the presence of Tim Duncan at the Spurs. Without the interior, the Diesel wouldn’t have put a play on San Antonio.
Tony Parker is without question one of the best players of all time, he has the track record to prove it. He was not only at the heart of one of the most beautiful dynasties in history, he was also the first European elected MVP of the Finals. And what about his legendary “teardrop”, taken over today by all the stars of the league like Stephen CurryDamian Lillard, James Harden ou encore Trae Young ?
Moreover, the No. 9 Spurs was honored by the NBA by being nominated for one of the most prestigious historical awards ! No, it won’t take away the pain the point guard felt during his snob on the league’s 75th anniversary team, but it’s a nice consolation prize, especially since he has a good chance of prevail.
Shaquille O’Neal destroys Tony Parker
But for some critics, TP’s career is what it is only thanks to the impact of Gregg Popovich and Tim Duncan, and he would have benefited from a perfect system to shine. That’s obviously what you think Shaquille O’Neal, as he made clear to Tracy McGrady in her podcast. Tony Parker fans might jump when reading this conversation.
Tracy McGrady : For me an MVP can be a player who pulls off crazy statistics in a team with little talent, and who manages to qualify them for the playoffs. I had a season like that in 2003. I didn’t have a single All-Star on my team, and I shot 32 points to get 6th in the East. That year it was Tim Duncan who was MVP, even without him, the Spurs would have gone to the playoffs.
Shaquille O’Neal : Wow wow wow. No they don’t qualify without Duncan. Most guys have had success with him. He was the target of two-man strikes and brought out the balls at the right time on Ginobili.
Tracy McGrady : Are you telling me that Tim Duncan made the career of Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker?!
Shaquille O’Neal : Yes !
Shaquille O’Neal was ruthless with the Spurs of the big time. If he gives all the credit in the world to Tim Duncan, he refuses to believe that Tony Parker could have taken San Antonio to the playoffs by being the No. 1 option. A rather disrespectful opinion for a player as accomplished as the French leader. In fact, you might even think he would have been much stronger without Duncan sucking up the balls.
Shaquille O’Neal is categorical, Tony Parker was not strong enough to shine without Tim Duncan… An opinion that is not necessarily supported by the facts, since the point guard was the centerpiece of the lastst seasons of the most prolific trio in history.
