FIBA Basketball
FRA - Parker content with non-captain role
DIVONNE-LES-BAINS (FIBA World Championship) - France point guard Tony Parker believes Boris Diaw or Laurent Foirest would be ideal captains of the French national team after turning down the opportunity to wear the armband himself
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DIVONNE-LES-BAINS (FIBA World Championship) - France point guard Tony Parker believes Boris Diaw or Laurent Foirest would be ideal captains of the French national team after turning down the opportunity to wear the armband himself.
The 24-year-old San Antonio Spurs star, who helped Les Bleus capture the bronze medal at the EuroBasket in Serbia & Montenegro last year, admitted in May he would prefer someone else to take over. Parker joined his France team-mates in Divonne-les-Bains at the end of last week and said: "No, I still don't want to be the captain.
"I'd rather someone else took that responsibility and influence within the team. It worked really well for me (as captain) in 2005 but this year I am not too sure.
"It will be (coach) Claude Bergeaud who will decide in the end and I would say that either Boris (Diaw) or Laurent (Foirest) will get it."
Parker won the NBA title with San Antonio in 2003 and 2005 and was selected for the All Star Game in 2006. Despite not progressing further than the semi-finals of the West Conference with the Spurs this year, Parker, who averaged 18.9 points and 5.8 assists per match, is adamant his season was one of his best.
"Personally, I believe I have never performed so well," he added in L'Equipe. "I am reassured on the way I shoot. I dominated in the side. I was very motivated to show the Spurs I could qualify for the All Star Game. In the end I got the reward and respect from everyone."
Parker also insists he has never felt so eager to play, and win, with Les Bleus.
"I had a long break which did me good," he added. "The elimination of the Spurs turned out to be a good thing for me in the end. This is the first time I've arrived in France with such a huge determination to play well with the national team. I am sure I will do better this year than last year at the Euros."
France will be in group A in Japan along with Argentina, Serbia & Montenegro, Nigeria, Lebanon and Venezuela in August.
Parker attended France's World Cup final against Italy in Berlin on July 9 and has urged his team-mates to draw inspiration from the football players' performance.
"They displayed a similar performance as us last year at the Euros, by starting poorly before finishing on a high," said Parker. "We must be inspired by their mental strength and collective awareness. We will use it even if we have already experienced a similar situation last year."
France face Switzerland on Monday in the first of 12 friendly matches ahead of FIBA World Championship.
In 27 encounters Les Bleus are yet to lose to the Swiss.
PA Sport
DIVONNE-LES-BAINS (FIBA World Championship) - France point guard Tony Parker believes Boris Diaw or Laurent Foirest would be ideal captains of the French national team after turning down the opportunity to wear the armband himself.
The 24-year-old San Antonio Spurs star, who helped Les Bleus capture the bronze medal at the EuroBasket in Serbia & Montenegro last year, admitted in May he would prefer someone else to take over. Parker joined his France team-mates in Divonne-les-Bains at the end of last week and said: "No, I still don't want to be the captain.
"I'd rather someone else took that responsibility and influence within the team. It worked really well for me (as captain) in 2005 but this year I am not too sure.
"It will be (coach) Claude Bergeaud who will decide in the end and I would say that either Boris (Diaw) or Laurent (Foirest) will get it."
Parker won the NBA title with San Antonio in 2003 and 2005 and was selected for the All Star Game in 2006. Despite not progressing further than the semi-finals of the West Conference with the Spurs this year, Parker, who averaged 18.9 points and 5.8 assists per match, is adamant his season was one of his best.
"Personally, I believe I have never performed so well," he added in L'Equipe. "I am reassured on the way I shoot. I dominated in the side. I was very motivated to show the Spurs I could qualify for the All Star Game. In the end I got the reward and respect from everyone."
Parker also insists he has never felt so eager to play, and win, with Les Bleus.
"I had a long break which did me good," he added. "The elimination of the Spurs turned out to be a good thing for me in the end. This is the first time I've arrived in France with such a huge determination to play well with the national team. I am sure I will do better this year than last year at the Euros."
France will be in group A in Japan along with Argentina, Serbia & Montenegro, Nigeria, Lebanon and Venezuela in August.
Parker attended France's World Cup final against Italy in Berlin on July 9 and has urged his team-mates to draw inspiration from the football players' performance.
"They displayed a similar performance as us last year at the Euros, by starting poorly before finishing on a high," said Parker. "We must be inspired by their mental strength and collective awareness. We will use it even if we have already experienced a similar situation last year."
France face Switzerland on Monday in the first of 12 friendly matches ahead of FIBA World Championship.
In 27 encounters Les Bleus are yet to lose to the Swiss.
PA Sport