Tony Parker Quotations

We have a pretty tough schedule coming up. We have to stay strong mentally and must focus on getting better.

I am, first of all, a basketball player. I've done this for so very long... For me, it's been essential to be successful on the court.

Everything feels like you're in slow motion and everything you do seems like it's about two or three plays of what everybody else is doing.

You're going to see ups and downs your whole career.

Playing in the playoffs is the best basketball in the world, and if you can learn under that pressure, succeed under that pressure, it gives you more confidence the next year.

Well, actually, I'm a bisexual lesbian in a man's body... but it's more complicated than that.

You have to know how to keep things in perspective.

It hurts. Frankly, it hurts terribly. I have just lived one of the biggest loss of my career. It will be difficult to digest that moment. It is extremely hard to accept. I am disappointed.

If Tim Duncan had 'Knicks' on his jersey, he'd be a god. He'd be more than Patrick Ewing. With four championships and two MVPs, I think people realize he's one of the best ever, but if he played in New York, he'd be way more famous.

I'm impressed with how the NBA, as a whole, is dressing so well. Guys are being very creative and having fun with it.

When I was small, playing NBA Live, that's how I knew everyone in the NBA. That's how I learned about the players.

Balling is balling; it is all just basketball for me and I'm used to playing both games, so it really does not matter if it is international style, American style; it does not matter at all for me.

Every night you have different match-ups, and you have 82 games, so physically you are going to get tired. You have to be ready mentally to bring your energy and bring the juice every night.

Watching tape is key. I basically watch every game. It's the only way to break down your opponents.

If Tim Duncan had Knicks on his jersey, he'd be a god.

My mom was a model, and her laid-back but put-together sensibility really rubbed off on me.

If I am wearing a T-shirt, it's probably by Wap Two.

My focus is on comfort, so I tend to keep it simple and casual - both during and after the basketball season.

You never know, the way technology is going, we might all use the games for scouting by the time I retire.

He got me good. He got me good. I just thought he didn't need to do that because I was right under the basket and I was fouled already and he just gave the extra elbow. I didn't appreciate that. But he knows that he was wrong. I just wanted to make sure I told him.

He looked good at the line to me.

We made some tactical mistakes in the last few seconds. But overall, I am happy with how we played. That's basketball, you win some, you lose some. We should have finished them off earlier.

I think with Jay Williams, he just needs more freedom. He needs to be able to play and not think. Last year I was thinking too much sometimes. When you?re thinking too much you can?t play free.

I was very, very motivated. I felt like I owed my teammates because I played so bad two nights ago. It was just one of those games. Nothing went my way. So I watched some film with (Popovich) to see what I could do better.

My priority is try to win a championship with the Spurs. Off the court I just let them say whatever they want. I'm used to it a little bit. When I go back to France it's crazy. Everywhere I go it's like a lot of people, paparazzi. So, you just stay with your bodyguard and go into private restaurants and stuff like that.

I think I was too much in a hurry, trying to make stuff happen.

I thought I penetrated pretty well - we just missed a lot of easy shots. It's just one of those nights where offensively it didn't go our way.

Manu being out hurts us. Before he went down we were starting to establish our roles. We just have to do our best until he gets back.

Manu always brings the energy. It was good to see him out there.

That's what happens when you are the champions; every night they want to give you their best game. Especially on back-to-backs, it's tough. The (loss) against New Orleans, we had played against Sacramento and (the Hornets) had two days off so they had a lot of energy. So we just have to be ready to play every night, but it's tough.

We wanted to make sure we didn't come out flat. It was great energy from the beginning.

We can't have bad endings of games because against Detroit or good teams, it can hurt us.

Tim came out huge today. He was very focused this morning and he played like an MVP.

The pressure is there, ... Especially when you're trying to win the championship.

We were not playing well there in the third quarter. Pop went out there and took one for the team. We came back strong in the fourth quarter. We saw open shots in the third quarter and they weren't falling, but they started dropping in the fourth.

We always seem like we come together when we go on the road.

Finley is definitely stepping up and playing great basketball. He's just feeling more comfortable with the team.

First half, we kind of played terrible defence, gave them wide-open shots. The second half, we matched their energy. Every time they tried to penetrate, everyone was in good position.

We've got a bet going on who is going to shoot the first air ball. Hopefully, it won't be me. That would be nice.

We already lost him for 10 games and now he's going to be out for another 10 games. So it's kind of hard.

Um, Richard, what do you think of Tony Parker being named one of the 50 most beautiful people,

Every time we play Houston, we have a hard time scoring. Whenever you make the outside shot, it opens things up for us.

It was tough in overtime. Maybe we ran out of gas. We should've won the game. We had them up four with nine seconds to go (in regulation) and we should've won this game. We had a chance, and we should've won the game and we just gave it away.

Definitely. It was tough in overtime. Maybe we ran out of gas. But we should've won the game before that. We had it.

Definitely difficult to lose him. He was coming back very well. He was starting to play very well. He was playing good basketball so it is hard to lose him again.

A lot of teams like to put a bigger player on me. A lot of times, I backed him off but didn't hit the shot. I've got to hit the shots.

It's just the bad that goes along with the good,

It was a tough call. He got mad after that, and he didn't stop penetrating, he kept attacking.

It's a nice reward for all the hard work I put in. I'm proud,

It proves that the committee is Anglo-Saxon. They prefer the English.

It's the playoffs, and everybody is focused, everybody is very motivated. Everybody was ready. We're not going to shoot the ball like that every night, but that was a good feeling. Game 2 is going to be different.

It just happens. It wasn't our offense. Our defense was bad. We scored. We just couldn't stop anybody.

It's been good to be here with Tim. It's always nice to be here the first time with a teammate. He introduced me to everybody. I am just very blessed and lucky he was here so I could experience my first All-Star Game with him.

It was a big win. We were motivated to play against Miami. Obviously, they are one of the best teams in this league.

I've just got to stay aggressive and play my game, ... Do whatever my team needs me to do.

I've done lots of appearances, none like this.

It was a back and forth game out there. They hit some big shots and we were able to answer back. We had to stay aggressive out there tonight.

It was one of those nights. Nothing went my way. It was just a bad game, so I watched game film with (Popovich) and saw what I could do better. I was very, very motivated because I felt like I owed it to my team.

They did a great job. That's why I chose them.

It was great to find my teammates tonight. Everybody was making shots and Finley was hot so I tried to find him when I could. We were all feeling good tonight.

I'm very concerned about it, ... We've not had our chain pulled like this before to realize what a problem there is.

Before the break, Pop wasn't happy with our offensive rebounding. Now, (Mohammed) is dominating that category.

He said it very plain, very clear. He said, 'We need to repeat.' We're just about the only team that's won a championship lately that did not repeat.

He always thinks that if everything is good at home, you'll play better on the court.

When Boston and Orlando told me they were going to pick me at 21 and 22, I figured I don't need to do a workout for a second -round team. Boston and Orlando never drafted me because they said I was too skinny and no European point guard will make it in the League.

I still have a lot of room for improvement. I need to become a more skilled player.

If we go to the conference finals and people say we had a bad season, I'll take that.

When I first came in the league, a lot of people were surprised by my knowledge about the history of the game.

The day when I am satisfied with what I have, will be the day I retire from the sport.

For me, speed isn't anything I ever practiced. It's all in the genes. Plus, my mom gave me a lot of vitamins when I was small.

I want to follow in my father's footsteps, but do it better.

When you win 20 games in a row and then lose four, people ask you, 'What happened?'...That's the beauty of sports.

I want to become the first European floor leader to succeed in the NBA. I want to be the standard-bearer and prove we can succeed here.

Getting up at three in the morning to watch Michael Jordan, I never dreamed one day I would be kissing that trophy.

I don't think I'm boring.

Experience is everything. It means so much because it enabled me to learn the game even faster. Playing in the playoffs is the best basketball in the world, and if you can learn under that pressure, succeed under that pressure, it gives you more confidence the next year.

In France, if you talk to little boys, they know all of the NBA players and not one single Pro A player.

I love being under pressure. Even the pressure put on me by the media. That is how you outdo yourself.

When there is talk about the best point guards, sometimes they dont talk about me. But that is not my main motivation. They can talk about Jason Kidd, Steve Nash, Deron Williams, and Chris Paul. I still have the most rings.