In yesterday’s performance against Bosnia and Herzegovina, French point guard — and four-time NBA champion — Tony Parker tied the all-time EuroBasket scoring mark held by Nikos Galis of Greece.
Parker’s ho-hum 11 points wasn’t really a factor as France obliterated Bosnia and Herzegovina in the second and third quarters for a 81-54 win, but it brought him to 1,030 points in 59-career EuroBasket games, equaling Galis. The basket itself was a perfect representation of Parker’s ability to score.
He fakes like he’s going to use the screen, but drives the opposite way and flips up a wrong-handed layup from an impossible angle as he’s heading out of bounds and with a defender draped all over him.
Parker’s Sunday performance comes on the heels of his 23 points in France’s 97-87 win over Finland on Saturday to start this year’s tournament, but it’s not like he spent all day Sunday just trying to score. Check out his pretty lob to NBA contemporary Nicolas Batum.
If you’re unfamiliar with the man whose all-time scoring mark Parker equaled, Nikos Galis starred for Greece in the 1980s and even went at it — H/T to the Dan McCarney of the San Antonio Express-News for bringing this to our attention — against NBA sharpshooter Drazen Petrovic (R.I.P.) in this classic semifinal showdown during the 1987 EuroBasket.
On Monday, France faces Poland in their third game in as many days. Despite the lack of rest, Parker will eclipse Galis’ long-time mark with his first bucket.
TP’s long run with the French national team was at the crux of a question asked in a recent Beats By Dre spot starring the Spurs star. In the ad, Parker’s commitment to his national team is shown, and he attempts to explain his decision to play, despite how it might wear him down before the NBA season.
For Tony, it’s not so much choosing country over his Spurs engagement. “This isn’t about me,” Tony says in the spot. “This is about France.” His resolve is apparent, especially when you consider he’ll soon be alone as the all-time leading scorer in EuroBasket history.
