Maybe Tony Parker should have called Gregg Popovich instead of Thierry Henry like he does in this new Beats By Dre commercial?
The Spurs point guard stars in a new wireless headphones spot for the ubiquitous Beats By Dre, and while it’s not LeBron-esque in its grandeur, it does offer an interesting divide at this point in the offseason.
In the ad, Parker is shown working out, icing his aging body, and preparing for…something. He’s also making a phone call to fellow Frenchman, Thierry Henry, who challenges him by asking, “How much do you even have left?” Henry’s questioning over the phone act as the chorus to the spot. “How long can you go on like this?”
“You have nothing left to prove,” Henry pleads. He’s right, by the way. Parker has four titles, a Finals MVP in 2007, six all-star selections, most recently in 2014, and the respect of all who have watched him do his thing.
This is when the ad cuts to a series of inane reporter’s questions (they’re always the bad guys in these spots, just ask Draymond Green) asking if it’s fair of Tony to suit up for France with the 2015-16 NBA season so close on the horizon. Cut back to Parker on the phone with Henry. He’s finally got an answer for all those questions he keeps getting asked.
“This isn’t about me. This is for France.” Cue the DRE slow walk with Parker blocking out all the media noise with his wireless headphones.
Here’s why the ad is so important to Parker and to Spurs fans.
San Antonio is on the cusp of competing for another title in 2015-16. Perhaps you didn’t know, but they’ve got a shiny new All-Star power forward to team with Tim Duncan in the front court. They’ve also got the reigning Defensive Player of the Year in Kawhi Leonard, after inking him to a max deal. Manu Ginobili is back, as is Parker’s fellow Frenchman, the slightly bulbous Boris Diaw. They re-signed 3&D stud Danny Green (still not sure whether it was at a discount), and now they’ve also got David West coming off the bench, at a stunning discount. After such a successful offseason, the Spurs look like an easy pick for a long playoff run.
Yet their whole journey might hinge on the health of Parker, who broke down last season and was only a husk of his former self against Chris Paul and the Clippers in that all-time first-round matchup.
Ever since Popovich made the clairvoyant decision half a decade ago to place the offense in Parker’s able hands with Father Time pointing his ghoulish finger at Tim Duncan, San Antonio’s ability to score has been predicated on TP’s facility at slicing up opposing defenses, bending them with his pick-and-roll drives before either taking one of his patented floaters or starting the chain reaction of swing passes that leads to an open three-pointer, or a cut for a layup.
But when Parker is playing on creaky ankles, that ability is muffled, and they don’t retain nearly as much offensive oomph. Maybe with LMA in the front court, they won’t have to rely so much on his ability to get into the paint, and perhaps Kawhi Leonard is ready to take that much-discussed leap on the offensive end.
Parker is still a large part of what the Spurs do on the offensive end, and he gives up a lot on the other end if he can’t move laterally. His health is a huge component to their success, and that’s threatened with extended time on the French national team. Hence, the ad.
This commercial drops right before EuroBasket 2015, with Parker representing his native France. The questions Henry asked him are actual questions Spurs fans, and even some Spurs executives, might very well ask. Is repping France in EuroBasket worth jeopardizing San Antonio’s very real title chances?
“This isn’t about me. This is for France.”
It’s pretty cool to see pride in your country like that, even if we’d rather Parker was healthy and rested for the grind of the NBA season.
