Tony Parker Given Tribute By Players, Coaches, Fans, Pay Tribute Ahead Of His Jersey Retirement

For some, this will be the last time that they will see Tony Parker on an NBA hardwood but for others, he will be just right above the court, immortalized forever.

San Antonio Spurs is set to raise the jersey of their long-time point guard to the rafters of the AT&T Center, the team announced on their social media accounts. The 37-year old Frenchman will be the last player from the Spurs’ “big three”, following fellow stars and future Hall of Famers Tim Duncan and Manu Ginobili.

In his 17 seasons with the Spurs, he, along with Duncan and Ginobili, led the team to win four NBA titles. Their final championship run during the 2013-2014 NBA Finals would be best remembered where he threaded the needle right in the middle of Miami’s “Big Three” defense – almost lost the ball with Bosh, then stumbled in front of James with Wade trying to poke the ball away before taking the shot – and eventually winning the game.

Considered as one of the draft steals of all time, the 6-foot-2 guard also made his mark on the world stage where he became the EuroBasket’s all-time scorer during their game against Poland in 2015. That record, though, would soon be broken by former teammate Pau Gasol two years later. Before the ceremonies, several players and coaches sent their greetings before the big night.

Dubbed the #TonyParkerDay, a ticket store posted that today has been the hottest Spurs ticket this season – a proof that the city would come out to see and cheer one of their heroes and witness the unraveling of Spurs’ no. 9 on the rafters at home.

And the fans are still having a hard time accepting what’s bound to happen tonight at San Antonio

The Belgium-born Parker played his final season with Charlotte but still got a rousing ovation when they played against the Spurs in San Antonio. He played 56 games with the Hornets last season and averaged 9.5 points, 3.7 assists, 1.5 rebounds in 18 minutes per game.

#MerciTony