First it was Tim Duncan, then Manu Ginobili, and now finally, San Antonio's Big 3 is immortalized, with Tony Parker being the last of them to have his jersey retired by the Spurs.
The No. 28 pick of the 2001 NBA Draft, Parker went on to win four NBA titles, was named Finals MVP in one of those, plus was a six-time All-Star and four-time All-NBA player. He was part of core that turned the Spurs into a dynasty.
"It was an honor to play for you guys, to play together," Parker said to Duncan and Ginobili. "You have no idea how much impact you two had in my life. You inspire me every day."
Parker, played for the Spurs for 17 seasons — all but his final one in the league, which he spent with the Charlotte Hornets — and retired after the 2018-19 season.
The Spurs made “Merci Tony” the theme of the night for celebrating the French-American player.
The other two members of the Spurs’ Big Three, Tim Duncan and Manu Ginobili, gave emotional speeches on Parker’s behalf, as did head coach Gregg Popovich. After almost 50 minutes of love for the Frenchman, his jersey was officially revealed in the rafters, next to Duncan and Ginobili’s.
Parker, Duncan and Ginobili teamed to win four of the franchise's five NBA championships and are the winningest trio in league history with 541 wins.
Parker also became the 10th player in franchise to have his number retired.