When Tony Parker left San Antonio Spurs last summer to join Charlotte Hornets, we thought we will see him on NBA courts for at least couple of more years. That won’t be the case, however, as Parker announced he is retiring from basketball after playing 18 seasons in the league.
“I’m going to retire,” – Parker told ESPN’s The Undefeated. “I decided that I’m not going to play basketball anymore.”
Parker later confirmed the decision on his Twitter profile.
After being told that he won’t have a prominent role with the Spurs anymore, Parker decided to sign on a two-year deal with the Hornets in July 2018. He ended the regular season playing 17.6 minutes on average with Charlotte while averaging 9.5 points and 3.7 assists per game.
“A lot of different stuff ultimately led me to this decision,” – Parker added. “But at the end of the day, I was like, if I can’t be a Tony Parker anymore and I can’t play for a championship, I don’t want to play basketball anymore.”
Tony Parker entered the NBA in 2001 when San Antonio Spurs took him 28th overall in the draft. He immediately took over the starting point guard position and went on to form a legendary trio with Tim Duncan and Manu Ginobili, which ended up winning the Spurs four championships in 12 years.
Parker’s other career highlights include NBA All-Rookie First Team honors, winning NBA Finals MVP in 2007, making six NBA All-Star appearances and being selected three times to All-NBA Second Team. During his time in the league, he averaged 15.5 points, 5.6 assists, and 2.7 rebounds per game.
