According to Jeff McDonald of the San Antonio Express-News, Spurs guard Tony Parker is contemplating whether or not he should play with France this Summer.
After several nagging injuries have kept him out several times this season, Parker thinks his participation in Eurobasket this past summer may be to blame.
“I think it’s finally catching up with me a little bit,” Parker said before Wednesday’s practice. “What it tells me is I’m going to have to make decisions about my priorities. At the end of the season, I’m definitely going to sit down and look at what happened this year, and make sure it doesn’t happen again.”
Parker has not completely ruled out playing for France this summer, but he admits he will have to think long and hard before committing to another grueling basketball summer. He will be heading into the final year of his contract, and says he is serious about returning his game to an All-Star level next season.
“I still want to play, because I still want to go to the Olympics (in 2012),” said Parker, who turns 28 in May. “But after (age) 30, it gets tough. I think what happened this year is going to affect my decision.”
After Parker’s career year in 08-09, many including everyone at Project Spurs thought this year would be the year Parker took the reins to the team. Not only has Tim Duncan proven that he can still play and compete for MVP votes, Parker’s stats have pretty much dropped across the board. When he hasn’t been injured, he’s been hesitant and a step slow, which could have been a huge issue if not for the improvement of George Hill.
While it’s easy to understand why Parker wants to represent his country, his priority and his commitment should be with the Spurs. Especially if he wants a fourth ring.
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