Chosen MVP of the "Salbris Junior Tournament" (Tournoi minims
de Salbris) (1997), Tony was discovered by Lucien Legrand. The coach of the
"cadets" (an age group division) and the national centre the INSEP took
advantage of the spotting and asked the little guy to join the INSEP. "I was in
contact a number of different clubs and I had even already chosen to go to play
for Cholet. After I visited the INSEP, I changed my mind."
Fourth in
Europe with the Cadets 81, (Tony Parker was actually born in 82’), Tony
reaffirmed his ability to be a major factor on the court. He excels in
penetrating and showed strength at the boards. At the end of his first year with
the INSEP he averaged 15 pts a game. Tony Parker was just 16 years old but he
wasn’t intimidated by the older players on the Nationale 2. The INSEP team had
its best season that year. The next year was a little more disappointing in
Nationale 1, but Parker, nonetheless managed to keep up his game. "In N2, some
games bored us" he admits. "In N1, the competition is a little harder,
physically that is." My competitors give me a hard time because I am young and
an easy target. The push me, and treat me like a little snotty kid, but,
well..." Humbled despite his ambitions, T.P. (his nickname), pushes on with out
faltering. He knows that it is an obligatory right of passage. Besides, during
all of this, Tony signed with Paris Saint-Germain and the Pro A.
Once
again Tony Parker had to get used to a whole new life. Having finished his
studentship with the INSEP, T.P: moved into the apartment in
Boulogne-Billancourt, which he shares with his mother and Terrence. He juggles
his responsibilities at school, his finales (STT in Economics), and his two
practices a day with Paris Saint-Germain, where he is learning the art of
patience. "It is not easy to become famous playing back-up to a point guard like
Laurent Sciarra. He plays almost all the time, and even just had one of his best
seasons." There is no jealousy, however, in Tony Parker’s voice. He knows that
it was just a transitional year. "I learned so much about the professional world
of basketball by watching how one directs the team." He proved that at the
prestigious Nike Hoop Summit.
