Tim Duncan, Tony Parker, and Manu Ginobili formed an unforgettable Big Three with the San Antonio Spurs that dominated the NBA for more than a decade. But things didn’t start off easy for the French point guard, who had to put in serious effort to win over the two-time league MVP.
“The first time I saw Timmy, I was like, man, I was kind of impressed,” Parker admitted in a January 2025 interview on the Knuckleheads podcast. “Obviously, I knew he was a superstar—multiple All-Star, MVP of the All-Star Game—I knew he was the franchise, basically. So, I knew that if I wanted to have a chance to be the point guard of that team, I had to earn Tim’s respect.“
Tony arrived in San Antonio after being selected with the 28th overall pick in the 2001 Draft. At the time just 19 years old, the point guard had played two standout seasons with Paris Basket Racing, earning Best Young Player and Most Improved Player honors in the French league—but he still had to prove himself in the NBA.
Looking back on those early days with the Spurs, Parker acknowledged that Duncan didn’t make it easy for him. “He made it tough on me like the whole first year,” said the guard. “People think I joke when I say this, but it’s true. He didn’t talk to me the whole first year. I don’t think he believed that a little Frenchie could be his point guard for the next 10 years, you know.”
Tony Parker and Gregg Popovich
That’s surprising considering Parker made an immediate impact on the team. In fact, during his rookie season he played in 77 of 82 games and started in 72 of them. That showed how much head coach Gregg Popovich valued him from the start—but Duncan held a higher standard.
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“It’s not until I played great against GP (Gary Payton) in the playoffs that he finally talked to me,” recalled the French star. He was referring to the first-round series of the 2001–02 Western Conference playoffs, when the Spurs defeated the Seattle SuperSonics 3–2. In that series, Parker started all five games and averaged 29.5 minutes per game, putting up 17.2 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 2.6 assists.
According to Tony, that was the turning point in how Duncan viewed him. “He was like, ‘Man, if he can play good against Gary Payton, I think we have something,’” the guard speculated. “But I didn’t back down. Mentally I was ready, my dad did a great job to prepare me and I was ready for my rookie season and my first year with the Spurs, Timmy won MVP of the NBA.”
That year, the Spurs were eliminated in the semifinals by the Los Angeles Lakers, but it laid the groundwork for the following season. With Ginobili now part of the squad, San Antonio went on to win the championship in the 2002–03 season, and Tony Parker firmly established himself as a key piece of the team, playing in all 82 games and forming the ideal partnership with Duncan, who won league MVP for a second straight year and also claimed Finals MVP honors.
SurveyCan Victor Wembanyama reach the same level of importance for the Spurs as Tim Duncan once did?
Can Victor Wembanyama reach the same level of importance for the Spurs as Tim Duncan once did?
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