Parker, Bob’s partnership formed after a rocky start takes them on a joint HOF journey

UNCASVILLE, Connecticut — San Antonio Spurs coach Gregg Popovich and longtime point guard Tony Parker head the star-studded class at the Naismith Hall of Fame this weekend.

But, as Popovich explained on Friday, that partnership never really took off after Parker’s initial workout didn’t go well.

“I hated it,” Popovich said here at the Mohegan Sun, where the Hall of Famers held their Friday press conferences ahead of Saturday night’s tribute in Springfield, Massachusetts. He doesn’t like contact, he’s 19, and I don’t want to see him.”

After a plea from Parker’s agent, who agreed the workout wasn’t great but asked Popovich to give him a second chance, the coach did. At the time, Popovich admitted that Parker “kicked the ass.”

“The rest is history,” Popovich said.

The two men would go on to spend 17 years together – with Parker playing just the final season of his career with the Charlotte Hornets. They’ve won five championships, and together with Tim Duncan, who made it into the Hall two years ago, and Manu Ginobili, who did it last year, are one of the winningest teams in NBA history.

Now, all four will be involved, with Duncan and Ginobili serving as presenters for Parker and all three players – plus David Robinson – doing so for Popovich on Saturday.

President Jerry Colangelo said the Hall specifically ordered the induction so that Parker could be nominated first, then introduce Popovich alongside his former colleagues. This is in line with Popovich’s firm belief that he should not be inducted before any of his four players are already inducted into the Hall of Fame.

“It’s very special,” Parker said. “I started two years ago. I went to Timmy’s, and Timmy gave me the honor of putting the jacket on him the night before. So that was cool. Then last year Manu was so much fun seeing Manu get into the hole. Well deserved. And to finish it off, this year for the third year in a row, coming To come here and do it with Pop… It just goes to show that we have a special group, that we’re just going to build differently.”

The ties between Parker and Popovich as part of this year’s class are clear. But all five of the NBA greats inducted this year—Parker, Popovich, Pau Gasol, Dirk Nowitzki and Dwyane Wade—have ties that connect them beyond just going into the Hall of Fame together.

Gasol spent years playing against Nowitzki, Parker, and Popovich in the Western Conference, each facing each other several times in the playoffs, before joining Parker and Popovich in San Antonio for two or more seasons. Not only have Nowitzki and Wade repeatedly faced San Antonio in the playoffs, but the defining moments of their careers have arguably been against each other, with Wade winning the title and Finals MVP over Nowitzki and the Dallas Mavericks in 2006 before Nowitzki returning the favor against Wade. and LeBron James, Chris Bosh, and the Miami Heat in 2011.

“We’ve bonded here for the past few weeks and months,” Nowitzki said. “Obviously we competed at the highest level, on the highest stage, and there were some things said on both sides that were emotional at times. So there were very frosty times between us. … But now all that was said is done, and the competition is over, I think there is an appreciation and respect there for each other’s profession.”

“It’s crazy going into the Hall of Fame with Dirk,” said Wade. “Obviously being competitive and similar in our careers, and also with Tony.

“It’s convenient though, and it feels right.”

Relationships go beyond that, as WNBA greats player Becky Hammon and current coach of the WNBA’s flagship Las Vegas Aces team spent several years on the bench with Popovich. She coached both Parker and Gasol as an assistant with the Spurs, a role that Popovich envisioned for her since he watched her play for the WNBA’s San Antonio Silver Stars.

“I love her,” Popovich said. “She’s a fiery, competitive girl who takes no prisoners. The first time I knew that was when I went to see a WNBA team for San Antonio. She was the point guard for that team and she reminded me of my youth. She was wise out there on the court, chewing gum, directing traffic, and getting everyone They do what you want them to do. And she just ruled the whole gym. It was amazing.”

Then there’s the fact that Parker, Gasol and Nowitzki are not only the greatest players in French, Spanish and German history, but three of the best European players ever. This tie holds them together, particularly as the sport has seen an explosion of global talent in recent years, including five consecutive International Player of the Year winners (Giannis Antetokounmpo, Nikola Jokic and Joel Embiid).

“I think this season is a great achievement for international basketball,” said Gasol. “I think the game has grown a lot since we first started playing. … I think we can be very proud that we have taken the international game to a higher level and very proud to see how the current and current players are taking it to the next level.”

Parker singled out Nowitzki for praise in particular, calling him the “goat” of European basketball.

“He told me that yesterday,” Nowitzki said. “I was so humbled by it. I always give credit to everyone else. I think there are guys who paved the way for me… If I come along and help inspire and motivate some guys along the way it makes me incredibly proud.”

In addition to the NBA names in this year’s class, the other winners include: the 1976 US Olympic Women’s Basketball Team; longtime Division III coach David Hickson, who spent decades at Amherst College; longtime junior college coach Gene Pace; Texas A&M women’s basketball coach Gary Blair; and longtime Division I head coach Gene Keady, who spent decades at Purdue, and Jim Valvano, who has coached at both Iona State and North Carolina.

In addition, Andscape’s Mark J. Spears and ESPN’s Holly Rowe have been honored as Curt Gowdy Award winners for print and electronic media, respectively.