Who is Tony Parker?
Tony Parker, a French-American professional basketball player, spent nearly two decades in the NBA.
He is presently the majority owner of the French LNB Pro A team ASVEL Basket.
In the 2001 NBA draft, he was selected by the San Antonio Spurs.
He had, however, launched his professional career in France in 1999.
His performance while still playing for the Paris Basket Racing gained him great international acclaim.
Tony has also played for the French national team at several international events.
He had not only taken part in them, but he had also guided them to many titles, including the EuroBasket.
Despite his diminutive stature, the French point guard never saw it as a disadvantage.
On the contrary, he was confident in his abilities, and because he was light, he could sprint quickly and easily beat his opponents.
After achieving so much in the sport, the French point guard eventually resigned from all forms of basketball in 2019.
Let us delve into this renowned French basketball star’s early beginnings, great accomplishments, and all that concerns us as his followers.
Relationship Details, Tony Parker is Married?
Tony’s name has been linked with several women at various times in relationship rumors. He has, however, married twice in his life and has been divorced both times.
Following his divorce, he is currently involved in an intense relationship with Alize Lim, a French professional tennis player.
Tony has known Alize for a long time, but they only started dating in 2021.
Alize was born in France to a Vietnamese father and a French mother in 1990.
She made her Grand Slam debut at the French Open in 2011 and has since competed in numerous tournaments without winning.
She has, however, already won three ITF titles in her career.
In addition, she usually serves as a presenter for the French television channel Eurosport alongside other experts such as Johanna Konta and Tim Henman.
He was previously married to Eva Longoria, a well-known Hollywood actress. After dating for a while, they got engaged in 2006.
They married in 2007 but split after she accused Tony of cheating on her with model Alexandra Paressant and Erin Barry, the wife of his teammate Brent Berry.
Despite Tony’s denials, Longoria refused to reconcile, and their divorce was formalized in 2011.
Following their divorce, he dated French writer Axelle Francine before marrying on August 2, 2014. Axelle gave birth to their first son, Josh, out of wedlock in April of that year.
Liam, their second son, was born in 2016. His second marriage, however, did not survive long. In 2020, the couple divorced.
They adore one other and have a great time together now that he is with Lim. They have an excellent relationship with Tony’s children as well.
Quick facts about Tony Parker
Full Name | William Anthony Parker Jr. |
Full Name | Tony Parker |
Date of Birth | May 17, 1982 |
Birth Place | Bruges, Belgium |
Nicknames | T.P., Tony P, The Parisian Torpedo |
Religion | Christianity |
Nationality | French / American |
Zodiac Sign | Taurus |
Tony Parker: Early Life, Age, Wiki, Parents, Ethnicity
Tony Parker Jr. was born on May 17, 1982, in Burges, Belgium. Tony Parker Sr. was a professional basketball player who played for various foreign organizations around the world.
Despite being an American citizen, Tony Sr family .’s resided in France and played professional basketball.
Pamela Firestone, Tony’s mother, was a Dutch citizen and a Dutch national tennis winner (1956).
Tony has always been interested in athletics since he was a child. He and his younger brothers would frequently go to see their father play basketball. He was, however, first interested in soccer.
Furthermore, his two brothers, T.J. and Pierre, were both talented athletes, and the three brothers eventually followed in their father’s footsteps.
His parents were very supportive, as their family had produced many famous athletes in the past.
As a result, both of his brothers became successful professional basketball players.
T.J. even played for the French national team in several tournaments and is now the head coach of ASVEL.
Tony eventually moved his attention from soccer to basketball while still in school. Michael Jordan’s growth and popularity at the time, on the other hand, had left a strong impression on him, and as a result, he became heavily immersed in the sport.
When he was 15, his family was granted naturalized French citizenship, and he was promptly accepted into the best sports learning institute, INSEP, in Paris.
He did not continue academic study after enrolling at INSEP.
Education, Schooling, University
Education | National Institute of Sport, Expertise, and Performance (INSEP) |
Professional Career, (Former Basketball Player)
French League Professional Career
Parker played in the amateur league in Paris for two seasons while still a student at INSEP.
After graduating, he signed with the prestigious French team Paris Basket Racing to play in the LNB Pro A.
For his performance in the inaugural season of the French League, the player quickly gained broader notice.
As a result, Tony was invited to play in the Nike Hoop Summit in Indianapolis, Indiana, in 2000.
Even though the event was filled with top-level players from Europe and the United States, he did not hesitate to exhibit his natural talent and outperformed practically everyone in the tournament.
Following his triumph, other universities in the United States offered him scholarships, but he declined. After that, he played one more season in the French League before entering the 2001 NBA draft.
Basketball Career
While he was still having a nice time in Europe, his celebrity had already spread over the oceans and reached America.
As a result, when NBA clubs learned of his plan to join the league, many rushed to sign him.
The San Antonio Spurs were the first to respond, inviting him to their pre-draft summer camp. Tony impressed the Spurs after passing two rounds of rigorous examinations.
As a result, the Spurs selected him in the 28th round of the 2001 NBA Draft.
Because the team already had an experienced point guard in Antonio Daniels, he spent much of his first season as a backup.
Moving on to the following season, Tony took over as the team’s primary point guard, giving him greater playing time. During the same season, he received his first NBA championship ring.
Every season he was with the Spurs, they made the NBA playoffs.
In terms of performance, he continuously provided his all for the squad. His outstanding contributions likely helped the Spurs win three more championship rings during his tenure.
Meanwhile, he temporarily played for ASVEL Basket in 2011.
The French superstar was his team’s favorite for the whole time he wore their shirt, and he was always in the starting lineup until he was injured.
On June 10, 2019, he announced his retirement from all forms of basketball after an eighteen-year legendary career with the same team. He did, however, play his final season with the Charlotte Hornets.
On November 11, 2019, the Spurs retired No. 9 in his honor.
A career in the National Team
Apart from his professional career, Tony participated in several international competitions with the French national team. He does, however, have American citizenship.
As a teenager, the Spurs legend began playing for French junior national teams. He initially appeared for France in a France shirt at the 1997 FIBA Europe Under-16 Championship.
Following that event, he was a regular member of a French squad of various age categories, and he so represented them in the other FIBA Europe championships.
Tony even won gold for his country at the FIBA Europe U-18 Championship in 2000, where he was named MVP with 14.4 points per game.
He made his senior French national team debut in 2001 and played until 2016. During his 15-year international career, he led them to various competitions such as EuroBasket and the Olympics.
He did, however, retire from international competition when the French team failed to reach the semi-finals of the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.
Rumors and Controversy
Talking about his rumors and controversy, he has not been in any part of rumors as well as controversy to date.
What is the Height of Tony Parker? Weight, Full Body Status
Height | 1.83 m (6 feet) |
Weight | 185 lb (84 kg) |
Hair Color | Black |
Eye Color | Black |
Build | Athletic |
Social Media Accounts
Instagram: @_tonyparker09
Twitter: @tonyparker
Facebook: Tony Parker
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