Tag: France

TP set for his own French cartoon series

It’s been a busy off-season for Tony Parker.

First, there were all those nasty trade rumors. But after getting a chance to get back to France, he’s been participating in some non-playing pursuits.

His recent commercial for Body Axe spray where he plays God in ais getting heavy play back in his home country. (Hat tip Project Spurs.com)

And he’s also announced he will be a part of a new French basketball-themed cartoon called The show follows a group of young basketball players who travel the United States with Parker taking on rival teams.

During his recent trip to France, Parker appeared on French TV show “High 5″ and debuted the first scenes of his show. Here’s a .

I know a little bit about cartoons from my own recent fatherhood with my boy. Parker’s show looks a lot like the “Scooby Doo” shows my son likes with Parker in the starring role and plenty of basketball thrown in for good measure.  

But I especially liked !” After checking the set design and some of his co-stars, French television looks a lot like a Saturday Night Live sketch.

PTI weighs in on Tony Parker’s comments

Tony Parker pronouncement that he thought the Spurs could no longer challenge for a championship with their current roster was big news across the NBA.

Parker’s comments last week to a group of French reporters in Paris even got discussion on ESPN’s “Pardon the Interruption” with Michael Wilbon and Tony Kornheiser.

Here’s a link to the segment at , as well as a transcript of what Wilbon and Kornheiser had to say.

Wilbon: Tony Parker is spending time back home in France and that’s why perhaps he felt comfortable enough to say what he said about the Spurs in a recent interview unearthed by Sports By Brooks. ”I don’t think this current team will  play for the title in the future. We are aging.”

Kornheiser: So are we.

Wilbon:  ”We must be realistic. It was kind of our last chance this season.” Tony, should Tony Parker be saying this, even if he believes it.

Kornheiser: Sure, if he believes it. What he’s saying is the exact same thing that you and I have said. Everybody looked at the Spurs this year and said, “Wow!” Look at them.

Wilbon: Great run.

Kornheiser: We didn’t think they would be that good, so I’m O.K. with that. But what interests me is that I suspect that not only did he say this in France, but that the said it in French. I suspect that he did not think, because he’s in a foreign country that it would be unearthed back in the United States. I don’t think he would have told a San Antonio reporter this exact thing.

Wilbon: Maybe not, but Tony Parker’s been living ontwo continents since he was 15 years old. So I’m thinking … His dad is American so I don’t know. Maybe you have a point, Tony.

Kornheiser: If you were living in Australia and you were interviewed, would you think it would be seen in Kansas City?

Wilbon: Yeah, yeah.

Kornheiser: So you think you are actually that big?

Wilbon: Yeah. I actually know. I travel and you don’t and the world is actually a lot bigger to you than me. It’s small and you know stuff gets around. More importantly, Tony Parker is going to be the guy who gets traded.

Kornheiser: I forgot that I was with Conrad Hilton.

Wilbon: No, you’re with a guy who leaves the house every now then.

Kornheiser: My grid gets smaller.

Wilbon: Tony Parker is going to get traded. He’s the guy. But if Pop says no, but if they are going to get better.

Kornheiser (interrupting): They can’t trade Duncan, he will be 36 …

Wilbon: And Ginobili has some value. But Tony Parker is the guy. I’m surprised you aren’t lobbying for him to be a member of the Knicks. Or can he get there on a barge from San Antonio?

As you can see, Parker and his comments have proven to be so lively that they’ve moved past San Antonio and become a national topic of conversation.

Parker and his future with the Spurs will be talked about all summer — lockout or not — because of the comments he made in France last week.