Anthony Parker
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2008-07-14T03:50:35Z
Chensiyuan
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r - justify trivia section or incorp into body
{{otheruses4|the American basketball player|the French basketball player with a similar name|Tony Parker}}{{otheruses3|Anthony Parker (disambiguation)}}
{{Infobox NBA Player
|image = Anthony Parker.JPG
|name = Anthony Parker
|league = [[NBA]]
|height_ft = 6
|height_in = 6
|weight_lbs = 215
|team = [[Toronto Raptors]]
| number = 18
|position = [[Shooting guard]]/[[small forward]]
|birth_date = {{birth date and age|1975|6|19}}
|birth_place = [[Naperville, Illinois]]
|high_school = [[Naperville Central High School|Naperville Central HS]]
|college = [[Bradley University|Bradley]]
|nationality = [[United States|American]]
|draft = 21st overall
|draft_team = [[New Jersey Nets]]
|draft_year = 1997
|former_teams = [[Philadelphia 76ers]] (1997–1999)<br/>[[Orlando Magic]] (1999)<br/>[[Quad City Thunder]] (2000)<br/>[[Maccabi Tel Aviv (basketball)|Maccabi Tel Aviv]] (2000–2002)<br/>[[Pallacanestro Virtus Roma|Virtus Roma]] (2002–2003)<br/>Maccabi Tel Aviv (2003–2006)
|career_start = 1997
|awards = <BR>
* '''2-time [[Euroleague]] [[MVP]]''': 2005, 2006
* '''2-time All-Euroleague''':
:* '''First Team''' 2005, 2006
* '''Euroleague Final Four MVP''': 2004
* '''[[Ligat Winner|Israeli League]] MVP''': 2004
* '''[[Missouri Valley Conference]] MVP''': 1995
}}
'''Anthony Michael Parker''' (born [[June 19]], [[1975]] in [[Naperville, Illinois]]) is an [[United States|American]] professional [[basketball]] player currently with the [[National Basketball Association]]'s (NBA) [[Toronto Raptors]]. After graduating from [[Bradley University]] with a [[academic major|major]] in [[liberal arts]], he entered the [[1997 NBA Draft]] and played briefly in the NBA before plying his trade in [[Europe]]. There, Parker spent five seasons with [[Israeli]] basketball club [[Maccabi Tel Aviv (basketball)|Maccabi Tel Aviv]] and one season with [[Italy|Italian]] club [[Pallacanestro Virtus Roma]]. With Maccabi he won five national championships, five national cups, two [[Euroleague]] titles, one [[Suproleague]] title, and was voted two-time consecutive Euroleague [[Most Valuable Player]] (MVP). Since returning to the NBA as a [[free agent]] in 2006, Parker has established himself as Toronto's starting [[shooting guard]], as well as one of the best [[three pointer|three point]] shooters and perimeter defenders in the NBA. In his first season with the Raptors, Parker helped the team clinch their first ever [[Atlantic Division (NBA)|division]] title, first [[NBA Playoffs]] berth in five years, and best regular season record in [[professional sports league organization|franchise]] history.
== Biography ==
=== Family life ===
Anthony Michael Parker was born on [[19 June]] [[1975]] in [[Des Moines, Iowa]] to Larry and Sara Parker, a family with strong basketball traditions.<ref name=bio>[http://www.nba.com/playerfile/anthony_parker/bio.html Anthony Parker Info Page - Bio], nba.com, accessed [[25 April]] [[2007]].</ref> His father played [[college basketball]] at the [[University of Iowa]], while his mother was a [[cheerleader]].<ref name=cand>[http://www.candaceparker.com/bio.php Bio - CP3 Data], candaceparker.com, accessed [[26 April]] [[2007]].</ref> Parker's younger siblings also played basketball; his brother Marcus played basketball in high school, while his sister [[Candace Parker|Candace]] is one of the brightest young talents in the game today.<ref name=cand/><ref name=oh>Eisenberg, Jamey, [http://www.sportsline.com/nba/story/10119588 "Oh brother, where art thou? Helping resurgent Raptors"], sportsline.com, [[10 April]] [[2007]], accessed [[26 April]] [[2007]].</ref> Early in his professional basketball career, Parker married Tamy, and they had their first child in 2002 named Alonso.<ref name=pj>[http://www.pjstar.com/services/sports/2003hoops/parker.html Anthony Parker], pjstar.com, accessed [[26 April]] [[2007]].</ref>
=== Early basketball career ===
Parker started out playing [[high school basketball]] at [[Naperville Central High School]].<ref name=inter>[http://www.interbasket.net/players/usa/anthonyparker.htm Anthony Parker], interbasket.net, accessed [[25 April]] [[2007]].</ref> He then played college basketball at [[Bradley University]] where he established himself as a top player, averaging 18.9 [[points per game]] (ppg) and shooting 42% from the [[three pointer|three point line]] in his third season,<ref>[http://www.basketball-reference.com/players/p/parkean01.html Anthony Parker Statistics], basketball-reference.com, accessed [[25 April]] [[2007]].</ref> earning the [[Missouri Valley Conference]] (MVC) MVP and All-MVC first team honors in the same season.<ref>[http://www.hoopshype.com/players/anthony_parker.htm NBA Players - Anthony Parker], hoopshype.com, accessed [[26 April]] [[2007]].</ref> His outstanding performances for the Braves ensured that he became one of 15 players honored in Bradley's All-Century basketball team named in 2003.<ref>Reynods, Dave, [http://www.pjstar.com/sports/ssections/bradleyallcentury/index.html Bradley All-Century Team], pjstar.com, accessed [[26 April]] [[2007]].</ref> Academically, Parker also excelled. He [[academic major|majored]] in [[chemistry]] before switching to [[liberal arts|liberal arts and sciences]] in his senior year, and earned two Major Robert H. Lawrence Jr. Scholarships while at Bradley.<ref name=bio/>
Parker entered the [[1997 NBA Draft]] after four years at Bradley and was selected 21st overall by the [[New Jersey Nets]], but he was immediately traded to the [[Philadelphia 76ers]] in a multi-player trade.<ref name=trade>[http://www2.sportsnet.ca/basketball/nba/players/Anthony_Parker/ Anthony Parker], sportsnet.ca, accessed [[25 April]] [[2007]].</ref> In his two seasons with the 76ers, Parker was largely plagued by injury and played in only 39 regular season games, averaging just over five minutes a game and totaling 74 [[point (basketball)|points]] and 26 [[rebound (basketball)|rebounds]].<ref name=stats>[http://www.nba.com/playerfile/anthony_parker/career_stats.html Anthony Parker Info Page - Career Stats and Totals], nba.com, accessed [[25 April]] [[2007]].</ref> He was subsequently traded together with [[Harvey Grant]] to the [[Orlando Magic]] for [[Billy Owens]] before the [[1999-2000 NBA season|1999–2000 season]] began.<ref name=trade/> Parker again struggled at Orlando, playing only 16 games with modest averages of 3.6 ppg and 1.7 [[rebounds per game]] (rpg) before being released in January 2000.<ref name=stats/> He finished the remainder of the season with the [[Quad City Thunder]] of the [[Continental Basketball Association]] where he averaged 11.5 points in 26 games.<ref name=bio/>
[[Image:Parker104.JPG|thumb|left|220px|Parker led Israeli team [[Maccabi Tel Aviv (basketball)|Maccabi]] to a number of domestic and European honors in his five years with the club.]]
=== European career ===
Disappointed in his failure to make a breakthrough in the NBA, Parker turned to [[Europe]] to resurrect his basketball career, intending to return to the NBA after a good season with a European club.<ref name=fail>Grange, Michael, "Parker turning heads in playoff debut", ''The Globe and Mail'', [[25 April]] [[2007]].</ref> Eventually he moved to [[Israel]] in the 2000–01 season, where he was signed by Israeli powerhouse [[Maccabi Tel Aviv (basketball)|Maccabi Tel Aviv]].<ref name=bio/> Initially, Parker and his wife were intimidated by the occasional bomb attacks in the city, but they soon settled in and Parker was able to focus on his basketball career.<ref name=pj/> Within his first season with his new club, he became one of their most pivotal players. Parker was signed to fill the void left by [[Doron Sheffer]]'s retirement at the shooting guard position, but ended up featuring as both scorer and [[playmaker]] for Maccabi.<ref name=fail/> He immediately brought to the team his ability to score, rebound, [[block (basketball)|block shots]], and even entertain the crowds with [[slam dunk]]s. In Parker's inaugural season, Maccabi won the [[Ligat Winner|Israeli domestic championship]] and the Israeli National Cup, as well as the [[Suproleague]] cup.<ref name=bio/> He continued his fine form for the club in the 2001–02 season, averaging 16.4 ppg and 5.2 rpg<ref>[http://www.euroleague.net/competition/players/showplayer?seasoncode=E2001+++++&pcode=AOW PARKER, ANTHONY], euroleague.net, accessed [[26 April]] [[2007]].</ref> as Maccabi again won both domestic titles, and even reached the [[Euroleague]] [[Final four (disambiguation)|Final Four]].<ref name=bio/>
[[Image:Parker112.JPG|thumb|right|220px|Parker in an interview with the Israeli press]]
Parker left Israel in 2002 and in January 2003 moved to [[Italy]], where he signed with [[Pallacanestro Virtus Roma|Virtus Roma]], playing in 27 [[Serie A (basketball)|Serie A]] league games and averaging 14.5 ppg and 5.6 rpg.<ref name=bio/> However, half a year later Parker longed a return to Israel, a country he had grown to love.<ref name=pj/> Back with Maccabi, he helped his team accomplish two more triple-feats by winning the Israeli domestic championship, the Israeli National Cup, and the Euroleage championship in both 2004 and 2005.<ref name=sign>[http://www.nba.com/raptors/news/pressrelease_071306.html Raptors Sign Free Agent Anthony Parker], nba.com/raptors, accessed [[25 April]] [[2007]].</ref> In the process, he was named Super League MVP and Euroleague Final Four MVP in 2004, as well as Euroleague MVP and first team All-Euroleague in 2005.<ref name=bio/><ref>[http://www.maccabi.co.il/MaccabiPersonalPlayer.asp?PLN=08&Year=2006&language=english Maccabi Elite Tel Aviv Basketball Club], accessed [[26 April]] [[2007]].</ref> The 2004–05 season also proved to be a watershed season for Parker, as he averaged career-highs of 18.0 ppg, 5.3 rpg and 3.6 [[assist (basketball)|assists]] per game (apg).<ref>[http://www.euroleague.net/competition/players/showplayer?seasoncode=E2004&pcode=AOW PARKER, ANTHONY], euroleague.net, accessed [[27 April]] [[2007]].</ref> In his final season with Maccabi, he led Maccabi to another domestic double, but in the Euroleague championship game, Maccabi was defeated 73–69 by [[PBC CSKA Moscow]].<ref name=bio/> For his efforts, Parker was named Euroleague MVP and first team All-Euroleague for the second consecutive time.<ref name=sign/> After six years of success in Europe however, Parker dreamt of returning to the NBA.<ref name=inter/> Overall, he averaged 13.6 ppg, 4.8 rpg and 1.8 [[steal (basketball)|steals]] per game (spg) in his Israeli league career, while averaging 15.8 ppg, 5.7 rpg and 1.6 spg in the Euroleague.<ref name=sign/>
[[Image:Toronto raptors 0607z.jpg|thumb|left|200px|On his return to the NBA, Parker (far right) became the starting [[shooting guard]] for the Raptors.]]
=== Return to the NBA ===
In October 2005, during a pre-season [[friendly match|friendly]] representing Maccabi against the [[Toronto Raptors]], Parker hit the game-winning shot with less than a second remaining to lead Maccabi to a 105–103 win at the [[Air Canada Centre]].<ref name=inter/> This gave the Raptors fans and management a glimpse of his abilities and in July 2006, Parker was officially signed by Raptors [[General Manager]] [[Bryan Colangelo]] as a [[free agent]] as part of a massive revamp of the [[2006-07 NBA season|2006–07]] Toronto team.<ref name=sign/> He was signed for approximately $12 million (USD) over three years,<ref name=fail/> joining recent European veteran acquisitions [[Jorge Garbajosa]] and [[José Calderón (basketball)|José Calderón]] on the team. Adopting a #18 jersey in honor of his time in Israel (18 is a lucky number in Judaism), Parker quickly established himself as the starting [[shooting guard]] for Toronto and a well-respected three-point shooter in the NBA, ranking fourth in the league for three point [[field goal percentage]] by the end of the regular season.<ref>[http://www.nba.com/statistics/player/3PointS.jsp?league=00&season=22006&conf=OVERALL&position=0&splitType=9&splitScope=GAME&qualified=Y&yearsExp=-1&splitDD=All%20Teams 2006-07 THREE POINT LEADERS: 3-POINT FG PERCENTAGE], nba.com, accessed [[26 April]] [[2007]].</ref> Overall, in his first season with Toronto, he averaged 12.4 ppg, 3.9 rpg, and 2.1 apg,<ref name=stats/> leading his team in three point field goal percentage and [[free throw]] percentage.<ref name=inter/> Parker's defensive and offensive versatility were credited as instrumental in helping the Raptors clinch their first-ever [[Atlantic Division (NBA)|division]] title, first [[NBA Playoffs]] berth in five years, as well as best regular season record in franchise history.<ref name=oh/><ref name=fail/><ref>Ulmer, Mark, [http://www.nba.com/raptors/news/ulmerrecap_042407.html "The One They Needed"], nba.com/raptors, [[24 April]] [[2007]], accessed [[27 April]] [[2007]].</ref>
{{Quote_box|
width=40%
|align=right
|quote=He didn’t make it in the NBA basically and had to go back to Europe to establish himself and came back at the age of 31. Here’s a guy that supposedly wasn’t good enough to be in the NBA and he went from Euroleague player to NBA starter. He took advantage of his opportunity and it was the right fit for this team.
|source=– [[Bryan Colangelo]], Raptors GM<ref>Hareas, John, [http://www.nba.com/features/moon_071128.html "Raptors GM Bryan Colangelo on Jamario Moon"], nba.com, [[28 November]] [[2007]], accessed [[29 November]] [[2007]].</ref>
|}}
In the first round of the [[2007 NBA Playoffs]], Parker was chosen to defend [[New Jersey Nets]]' and former Toronto favorite [[Vince Carter]]. Parker was effective in shutting down Carter, restricting him to 13-for-43 shooting in the first two games.<ref name=fail/> However, the Raptors were eliminated by the Nets after Game 6.<ref>[http://www.nba.com/raptors/news/postup_050407.html Raptors Post Up], [[4 May]] [[2007]], accessed [[31 May]] [[2007]].</ref> On [[4 April]] [[2007]], the NBA also announced that Parker had been selected by a five-member panel of former players as the divisional winner of the 2006–07 NBA Sportsmanship Award.<ref name=award>[http://www.nba.com/raptors/news/pressrelease_040407.html "Anthony Parker Receives Atlantic Division Sportsmanship Award"], nba.com/raptors, [[4 April]] [[2007]], accessed [[27 April]] [[2007]].</ref> The annual award reflects the ideals of sportsmanship in amateur and professional basketball.<ref name=award/>
In the [[2007-08 NBA season|2007–08 season]], Parker remained the starting shooting guard for the Raptors. In a season that was fraught with lengthy injuries to a number of his team mates, he managed to play in all 82 regular season games and ensured that Toronto made the [[2008 NBA Playoffs]], albeit as the sixth seed. However, the Raptors were eliminated in the first round by the [[Orlando Magic]] in five games.<ref>Smith, Doug, [http://www.thestar.com/Sports/NBA/article/419454 "Season over for deflated Raptors"], thestar.com, [[29 April]] [[2008]], accessed [[30 April]] [[2008]].</ref> Parker was later named by ESPN as one of the best Euroleague players to have graced the NBA.<ref>Whittel, Ian, [http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?page=Euro-Parker Best of the Euroleague and NBA: Anthony Parker], sports.espn.go.com, [[2 May]] [[2008]], accessed [[6 May]] [[2008]].</ref>
As at the end of the 2007–08 season, he is ranked 7th in NBA's all-time leaders for three-point field goal percentage.<ref>[http://www.nba.com/statistics/default_all_time_leaders/AllTimeLeadersFG3PQuery.html?topic=4&stat=6 All Time Leaders: Three Point Field Goal Percentage], nba.com, accessed [[25 April]] [[2008]].</ref>
===International career===
Parker had a brief stint with the junior [[United States men's national basketball team]] as a college player. He was a member of the Under-22 team alongside future [[NBA All-Star]]s [[Tim Duncan]] and [[Paul Pierce]].<ref name=usa>[http://www.usabasketball.com/history/ymwcq_1996.html USA Basketball: World Championship For Young Men Qualifying Team History], usabasketball.com, accessed [[26 April]] [[2007]].</ref> The team defeated host and co-favorite [[Puerto Rico national basketball team|Puerto Rico]] twice in the [[FIBA Americas Championship|COPABA]] 22-and-under tournament and captured the gold medal in 1996, en route to qualifying for the 1997 [[FIBA]] 22-and-under World Championship.<ref name=usa/> In the gold medal game, Parker scored a game-high 19 points in a win against [[Canada national basketball team|Canada]].<ref name=usa/>
==NBA career statistics==
{{NBA player statistics legend}}
:''Correct as of 30 April 2008''<ref name=stats/>
==== Regular season ====
{{NBA player statistics start}}
|-
| align="left" | [[1997–98 NBA season|1997–98]]
| align="left" | [[Philadelphia 76ers|Philadelphia]]
| 37 || 0 || 5.3 || .397 || .321 || .650 || .7 || .5 || .3 || .1 || 1.9
|-
| align="left" | [[1998–99 NBA season|1998–99]]
| align="left" | [[Philadelphia 76ers|Philadelphia]]
| 2 || 0 || 1.5 || '''1.000''' || .000 || .000 || .0 || .0 || .0 || .0 || 1.0
|-
| align="left" | [[1999–00 NBA season|1999–00]]
| align="left" | [[Orlando Magic|Orlando]]
| 16 || 0 || 11.6 || .421 || .071 || .727 || 1.7 || .6 || .5 || '''.2''' || 3.6
|-
| align="left" | [[2006–07 NBA season|2006–07]]
| align="left" | [[Toronto Raptors|Toronto]]
| 73 || 73 || '''33.4''' || .477 || '''.441''' || '''.835''' || 3.9 || 2.1 || '''1.0''' || '''.2''' || 12.4
|-
| align="left" | [[2007–08 NBA season|2007–08]]
| align="left" | [[Toronto Raptors|Toronto]]
| '''82''' || '''82''' || 32.1 || .476 || .438 || .816 || '''4.1''' || '''2.2''' || '''1.0''' || '''.2''' || '''12.5'''
|-
| align="left" | Career
| align="left" |
| 210 || 155 || 26.0 || .472 || .425 || .812 || 3.2 || 1.7 || .8 || .1 || 9.8
{{end box}}
==== Playoffs ====
{{NBA player statistics start}}
|-
| align="left" | [[2007 NBA Playoffs|2006–07]]
| align="left" | [[Toronto Raptors|Toronto]]
| '''6''' || '''6''' || '''40.0''' || '''.419''' || '''.400''' || .795 || 5.3 || 1.0 || '''1.5''' || .3 || '''15.2'''
|-
| align="left" | [[2008 NBA Playoffs|2007–08]]
| align="left" | [[Toronto Raptors|Toronto]]
| 5 || 5 || 39.2 || .408 || .294 || '''.857''' || '''6.0''' || '''2.0''' || .8 || '''.4''' || 11.4
|-
| align="left" | Career
| align="left" |
| 11 || 11 || 39.6 || .414 || .351 || .811 || 5.6 || 1.5 || 1.2 || .4 || 13.5
{{end box}}
==Notes==
{{Reflist|2}}
==External links==
{{commonscat|Anthony Parker}}
* [http://www.euroleague.net/competition/players/showplayer?pcode=AOW&seasoncode=E2005 Parker's Euroleague profile]
* [http://www.nba.com/playerfile/anthony_parker/index.html Parker's NBA profile]
*[http://www.basketpedya.com/Acc002InfJug.php?idjug=8687&idioma=3 Career basketpedya.com]
{{Toronto Raptors current roster}}
{{1997 NBA Draft}}
{{Euroleague50}}
{{Maccabi Tel Aviv BC 2003-04 Euroleague champions}}
{{Maccabi Tel Aviv BC 2004-05 Euroleague champions}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Parker, Anthony}}
[[Category:1975 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:American basketball players]]
[[Category:African American sportspeople]]
[[Category:Ligat Ha'al players]]
[[Category:Maccabi Tel Aviv B.C. players]]
[[Category:Virtus Roma players]]
[[Category:People from Naperville, Illinois]]
[[Category:People from Des Moines, Iowa]]
[[Category:Philadelphia 76ers players]]
[[Category:Orlando Magic players]]
[[Category:Bradley Braves men's basketball players]]
[[Category:Toronto Raptors players]]
[[Category:Shooting guards]]
[[ca:Anthony Parker]]
[[de:Anthony Parker]]
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[[it:Anthony Parker]]
[[he:אנתוני פארקר]]
[[ja:アンソニー・パーカー]]
[[tr:Anthony Parker]]
[[bat-smg:Anthony Parker]]