Tony Parker has left the San Antonio Spurs for the Charlotte Hornets after spending all 17 seasons of his prestigious career with the franchise.
Despite leaving behind an outstanding legacy, reaching the postseason in every season of his career and winning four NBA championships, his tenure in Texas ends on a bit of a sour note.
This past March, the point guard said in an interview that his quad injury was "100 times worse" than Kawhi Leonard's, which didn't sit well with his star teammate. It was reportedly the "last straw" in what was an already damaged relationship between Leonard and the Spurs, according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski and Zach Lowe.
"I have no problem with Kawhi Leonard," Parker said, according to The Undefeated's Marc J. Spears. "We never had an argument. When the journalist asked me if my injury was worse than Kawhi's, I said yes because it was true. But that didn't lessen the significance of his injury. He took over the franchise and I gave up the torch of the franchise willingly. It's very sad that the media took one quote and made it sound like I didn't want to play with him. He was the face of the franchise."
The 2007 NBA Finals MVP reportedly agreed to a two-year, $10-million deal with the Hornets on Friday, likely making him the reserve point guard to All-Star Kemba Walker.
Parker spent his first 16 seasons in San Antonio primarily as a starter before becoming the backup to up-and-coming point guard Dejounte Murray. He started just 21 of 55 games last season.
The Frenchman averaged career lows in points (7.7), assists (3.5), and minutes (19.5).
