NBA: before entering the Hall of Fame, Tony Parker has fun with his friends, including Thierry Henry

The day of festivities concluded in a restaurant to the sound of “She is truly phenomenal! “Widely documented on his social networks by Tony Parker, she had started in the fabulous villa of the former leader of the San Antonio Spurs in Texas. And more precisely in the pool of the one who will enter the NBA Hall of Fame this Saturday. On the famous rap title “Organized Band” or on one of Mylène Farmer’s classics, “disenchanted”, the atmosphere was there.

It was the famous DJ Cut Killer who was responsible for setting fire to this party whose guests of honor were not missing. His former Spurs teammate, Bruce Bowen, was there, like Edwin Jackson, his partner in Blue in the early 2010s. But the legendary “TP” was accompanied by another legendary French sportsman, Thierry Henry. The latter, who was auditioned for the post of coach of the France Espoirs team, even tried a few dance steps by the pool to the sound of Magic System.

This celebration takes place since, on Saturday, Tony Parker will be the first Frenchman in history to enter the NBA Hall of Fame. An elite class, reserved only for legends of the famous North American basketball league. Currently, 197 former players make up this American Basketball Hall of Fame, including the famous Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.

“Even in my wildest dreams, I could never have imagined entering the Hall of Fame,” Tony Parker told reporters a few days before the ceremony. The four-time NBA champion with San Antonio (2003, 2005, 2007 and 2014) is still “hard to realize” what is happening to him, but he will soon be part of the elite of athletes in the best basketball league in the world.

Gregg Popovich inducted at his side

Four years after hanging up his sneakers, Tony Parker will be introduced by Manu Ginobili and Tim Duncan, already members of this “basketball museum” and with whom he formed one of the most formidable trios in Spurs history, before taking part. -even the induction of Gregg Popovich, five-time champion on the San Antonio bench and the most successful coach in the NBA. “He’s like a second father to me,” Parker said of the one who welcomed him to Texas at age 19 and with whom he “will forever be connected.”

Two other Europeans, whom he has known well during his career, are also in the 2023 vintage. The German Dirk Nowitzki, 6th best scorer in NBA history, crowned in 2011 with Dallas, and the Spaniard Pau Gasol, twice champion with the Lakers in 2009 and 2010 and with a huge international record.

“Dirk, I went to his shirt removal. Pau, I played with him at Spurs and we had all this rivalry with Spain, ”explained Parker, winner of Euro 2013 with France after eliminating La Roja, admittedly deprived of Gasol, in a half – final of anthology. Another living NBA legend completes the quartet for this ceremony. This is Dwyane Wade, three times titled with the Miami Heat in 2006, 2012 and 2013.