Tony Parker

Sport: Basketball

Nation: France

DOB: May 17, 1982

Career Highlights: Apparently a recent bar fight which nearly cost Parker his eye won't keep him from playing in London. A shard of glass left him with a scratched cornea as a result of a melee involving singer Chris Brown and members of hip-hop star Drake's entourage. Being tabloid fodder is nothing new for Parker, who was recently divorced from television star Eva Longoria. Even with a fair amount of experience in international play, Parker will be making his first Olympic appearance. The San Antonio Spurs star has played for France since his youth, capturing a gold medal at the under-18 European championships in 2000 while bringing home tournament MVP honors. Parker joined the French national team the following year and had one of his first big highlights in 2005, lifting France to its first European championship medal since 1959 with 25 points in a win over Spain to earn bronze. Parker led that same tournament in scoring last year with 22.1 points per game, leading France to a second-place finish and a spot in the London Olympics. He was drafted 28th overall in 2001 by the Spurs and hasn’t played for another team in his 11-year career. Parker has career averages of 16.8 points and 5.9 assists in the NBA, winning three championships alongside future Hall of Famer Tim Duncan. A four-time All-Star, Parker was the 2007 NBA finals MVP and is known for his clutch play in the postseason, averaging 18.9 points in 152 games. He is excellent at using his quickness to control a game, often finding holes in the lane to score as opposed to settling for long-range jumpers. Parker is a very adept ball handler and does a good job keeping teammates involved, having averaged a career-high 7.7 assists this season.

Olympic History: None