Spurs' Parker thanks fans, teammates after emotional season debut

Tony Parker's season debut was so emotional that he was on the verge of tears.

"No, it was just a lot of emotion, but almost, almost," Parker replied when asked if he cried due to the warm reception he collected from San Antonio Spurs teammates and fans during Monday's contest against the Dallas Mavericks, according to Michael C. Wright of ESPN.

"I'm always amazed by all the love from Spurs fans. It's hard to describe the feeling, but I was just very excited and just wanted to thank everybody for all the support. The city of San Antonio has been amazing, all the fans, the Spurs organization. It was just a great journey, just a great game tonight."

Parker, 35, returned to the court for the first time in almost seven months after suffering a ruptured left quadriceps tendon during the Western Conference semifinals versus the Houston Rockets last season.

The veteran point guard received hugs and head rubs from teammates, and an ovation from the AT&T Center crowd during player intros.

The French floor general, who's in his 17th season with San Antonio, notched his first bucket of the campaign early in Monday's game:

Parker finished with six points and four assists across 14 minutes in the 115-108 win, while the Spurs (present and past) are sure happy to have him back.