Following surgery to repair a ruptured quadriceps tendon, Tony Parker vows to return to the San Antonio Spurs in January better than ever.
“I will play my best basketball when I return in January”, Parker told L’Equipe (h/t Eurohoops.net).
Parker was injured during San Antonio’s playoff series against the Houston Rockets. His injury, and the one to Kawhi Leonard, made it impossible to for the Spurs to compete with the Golden State Warriors in the next series, the Western Conference Finals, which lasted just four games.
The French-born point guard expressed his frustration over the injury, specifically pointing to the fact that Gregg Popovich was already limiting his minutes so he could be most effective.
“The coach’s plan worked like a clock. I was consistent, playing for twenty to twenty five minutes per game. My series against Memphis was good and I had a good start in the season.”
Parker turned 35 this May. He averaged 10.1 points and 4.5 assists in 25.2 minutes per game in the regular season. If his timeline for a January return remains on course, then he’ll come back just in time for the Spurs to make a strong playoff push.
The future remains murky for the four-time NBA champ and 2007 NBA Finals MVP. He’ll be playing in the final year of his current deal — a contract that pays him $15.45 million for the 2017-18 season.