Biography of San Antonio Spurs Basketball Player Tony Parker

Tony Parker, the star point guard for the San Antonio Spurs, was born on May 17, 1982, in Bruges, Belgium. Despite being born in Belgium, Parker was raised in France.

As a child he was interested in both soccer and basketball, but eventually he chose to focus on basketball. His father, Tony Parker, Sr., was a professional basketball player in Europe when Tony was growing up.

Parker spent two years playing in the minor leagues of French basketball before being signed to a professional contract with the club Paris Basket Racing in 1999. After playing two seasons with the club, Parker chose to enter himself into the 2001 NBA Draft.

Tony Parker was selected with the 28^th overall pick by the San Antonio Spurs in the 2001 NBA Draft. In his rookie season, Parker became only the third French player to play in an NBA game. Following his rookie season, Parker was named to the NBA All-Rookie First Team.

In his second season, Tony Parker improved all of his statistics and played in all 82 games for the San Antonio Spurs. At the All-Star Weekend, Parker played on the Sophomore team at the Rookie Challenge.

In the playoffs, Parker was a key player during the run to the NBA Finals by the San Antonio Spurs. That season, the Spurs won the NBA Finals 4-2 over the New Jersey Nets, earning Tony Parker his first NBA Championship.

Two seasons later, the Spurs again went on a run throughout the regular season and playoffs, helped by an improving Parker as his statistics continued to increase. Parker earned his second Championship ring that season as the Spurs won the 2005 NBA Finals 4-3 over the Detroit Pistons.

Through the 2005-06 and 2006-07 seasons, Parker has grown into one of the stars of the NBA, including being invited to the NBA All-Star Game twice.

Parker earned his third NBA Championship ring at the 2007 NBA Finals as the Spurs defeated LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers. Parker also won his first NBA Finals MVP Award in the 2007 NBA Finals.

Tony Parker has also had some success with his national teams. In 2000, Parker and the French Junior National Team won the European under 20 Championship. Parker and the French National Team also earned the bronze medal at the 2005 European Championships.

Tony Parker's personal life has become a very popular topic within the tabloids since he has been together with actress Eva Longoria.

Tony Parker is 6 feet and 1 inch tall, and he weighs 180 pounds. His nickname is "TP."