Anthony Parker facts for kids
Parker with the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2009
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| Orlando Magic | |
|---|---|
| General manager | |
| Personal information | |
| Born | June 19, 1975 Naperville, Illinois, U.S. |
| High school | Naperville Central (Naperville, Illinois) |
| Listed height | 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) |
| Listed weight | 210 lb (95 kg) |
| Career information | |
| College | Bradley (1993–1997) |
| NBA Draft | 1997 / Round: 1 / Pick: 21st overall |
| Selected by the New Jersey Nets | |
| Pro career | 1997–2012 |
| League | NBA |
| Career history | |
| 1997–1999 | Philadelphia 76ers |
| 1999–2000 | Orlando Magic |
| 2000 | Quad City Thunder |
| 2000–2002 | Maccabi Tel Aviv |
| 2002–2003 | Lottomatica Roma |
| 2003–2006 | Maccabi Tel Aviv |
| 2006–2009 | Toronto Raptors |
| 2009–2012 | Cleveland Cavaliers |
| Career highlights and awards | |
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Anthony Michael Parker (born June 19, 1975) is an American basketball expert. He is currently the general manager for the Orlando Magic. Before this, he was a professional basketball player. He played in the National Basketball Association (NBA), and also in Italy and Israel. Many people remember him as one of the most successful players for Maccabi Tel Aviv.
Anthony Parker went to Bradley University. After college, he joined the 1997 NBA draft. He played a short time in the NBA before moving to Europe. In Europe, Parker played five seasons with the Israeli team Maccabi Tel Aviv. He also played one season with the Italian team Lottomatica Roma.
With Maccabi Tel Aviv, he won many titles. These included five Israeli national championships and five Israeli National Cups. He also won three European titles. He was named the EuroLeague MVP two times in a row. He was also the 2004 Israeli Basketball Premier League MVP.
Parker returned to the NBA in 2006. He became the starting shooting guard for the Toronto Raptors. In his first season, he helped the Raptors win their first division title. They also made it to the NBA playoffs for the first time in five years. He helped them reach the playoffs again in the 2007–08 season. He then became a free agent in 2009.
On June 27, 2012, Anthony Parker stopped playing basketball. He had played nine seasons in the NBA, five in Israel, and one in Italy. After retiring, he became a scout for the Orlando Magic from 2012 to 2017. In 2017, he became the general manager of the Lakeland Magic. This is the Orlando Magic's development team. In 2021, he moved to Orlando as an assistant general manager. In 2023, he became the General Manager of the Orlando Magic.
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Anthony Parker's Basketball Journey
Starting Out in Basketball
Anthony Parker began his basketball journey in high school. He played at Naperville Central High School. Then, he played college basketball at Bradley University. He became a top player there. In his third year, he scored 18.9 points per game. He also shot 42% from the three-point line. This earned him the Missouri Valley Conference (MVC) Most Valuable Player award. He was also named to the All-MVC first team.
His great playing made him one of 15 players honored on Bradley's All-Century basketball team in 2003. Parker also did well in school. He studied chemistry before changing to liberal arts in his last year. He also earned two scholarships while at Bradley.
Parker joined the 1997 NBA draft after four years at Bradley. The New Jersey Nets picked him 21st overall. But he was immediately traded to the Philadelphia 76ers. In his two seasons with the 76ers, Parker had many injuries. He played in only 39 regular season games. He averaged just over five minutes per game. He scored 74 points and had 26 rebounds in total.
He was later traded to the Orlando Magic before the 1999–2000 season. Parker struggled again in Orlando. He played only 16 games. He averaged 3.6 points and 1.7 rebounds per game (rpg). He was released in January 2000. He finished that season with the Quad City Thunder. This team was in the Continental Basketball Association. He averaged 11.5 points in 26 games there.
Playing Basketball in Europe
Parker was disappointed he didn't succeed in the NBA. So, he went to Europe to restart his basketball career. He hoped to return to the NBA after a good season in Europe. In the 2000–01 season, he moved to Israel. He signed with Maccabi Tel Aviv, a strong team in the EuroLeague. At first, Parker and his wife were worried about bomb attacks in the city. But they soon got used to it. Parker could then focus on playing basketball.
In his first season, he became a key player for Maccabi. Parker was signed to replace a retired player at shooting guard. But he ended up playing as both a scorer and a play-maker. He quickly showed his skills in scoring, rebounding, blocking shots, and even exciting the fans with slam dunks. In Parker's first season, Maccabi won the Israeli championship and the Israeli National Cup. They also won the FIBA SuproLeague Cup.
He continued to play well in the 2001–02 season. He averaged 16.4 points and 5.2 rebounds per game. Maccabi won both Israeli titles again. They even reached the Euroleague 2001–02 Final Four.
Parker left Israel in 2002. In January 2003, he moved to Italy. He signed with Virtus Roma. He played in 27 Italian league games. He averaged 14.5 points and 5.6 rebounds per game.
However, after six months, Parker wanted to return to Israel. He had grown to love the country. Back with Maccabi, he helped his team win two more "Triple Crowns." They won the Israeli championship, the Israeli National Cup, and the EuroLeague championship in both 2004 and 2005. During this time, he was named the Israeli Basketball Super League MVP. He was also the EuroLeague Final Four MVP in 2004. He was the EuroLeague MVP and first-team All-EuroLeague in 2005.
The 2004–05 season was a great one for Parker. He had his best averages with 18.0 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 3.6 assists per game.
In his last season with Maccabi, he led the team to another two domestic titles. But in the Euroleague 2005–06 championship game, Maccabi lost to CSKA Moscow. Parker was named EuroLeague MVP and first team All-EuroLeague for the second time in a row. After six successful years in Europe, Parker wanted to return to the NBA.
Overall, in Israel, he averaged 13.6 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 1.8 steals per game. In the EuroLeague, he averaged 15.8 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 1.6 steals per game. He was named to the 50 Greatest EuroLeague Contributors list in 2008. He was also part of the EuroLeague 2000–10 All-Decade Team in 2010.
Parker's time in Israel was very positive for him. He later wore jersey number 18 for Toronto and Cleveland. He explained that 18 means "chai" in Judaism, which is a symbol for life and good fortune. He wanted to remember his great experience in Israel.
Back in the NBA
Playing for the Toronto Raptors
In October 2005, Parker played for Maccabi against the Toronto Raptors in a friendly game. He made the winning shot with less than a second left. Maccabi won 105–103 at the Air Canada Centre. This showed Raptors fans and management his skills. In July 2006, the Raptors signed Parker as a free agent. This was part of a big change for the 2006–07 Toronto team. He signed for about $12 million over three years. He joined other European players like Jorge Garbajosa and José Calderón.
Parker chose jersey number 18. He quickly became the starting shooting guard for Toronto. He was known as a good three-point shooter in the NBA. He ranked fourth in the league for three-point field goal percentage that season. In his first season with Toronto, he averaged 12.4 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 2.1 assists per game. He led his team in three-point and free throw percentage. Parker's defense and offense helped the Raptors win their first division title. They also made the NBA playoffs for the first time in five years. This was their best regular-season record ever.
In the first round of the 2007 NBA Playoffs, Parker guarded Vince Carter of the New Jersey Nets. Parker did a good job stopping Carter. He limited Carter to low shooting percentages in the first two games. However, the Raptors lost to the Nets after Game 6.
On April 4, 2007, the NBA announced that Parker won the 2006–07 NBA Sportsmanship Award. This award is given to players who show good sportsmanship.
In the 2007–08 season, Parker remained the starting shooting guard for the Raptors. He played in all 82 regular season games. He helped Toronto make the 2008 NBA Playoffs. But the Raptors lost in the first round to the Orlando Magic in five games. ESPN later named Parker as one of the best Euroleague players to have played in the NBA.
By the end of the 2007–08 season, he was 7th in NBA history for three-point field goal percentage.
Parker played different roles in the next season. At one point, he had to play as the starting point guard when Calderón was injured. His scoring was not consistent that season. The Raptors did not make the playoffs. Parker's numbers dropped. He was going to be a free agent, but he wanted to return to Toronto. However, Toronto drafted shooting guard DeMar DeRozan. This made Parker's future with the team uncertain.
Playing for the Cleveland Cavaliers
On July 13, 2009, Parker signed a two-year, $6 million deal with the Cleveland Cavaliers. This team had LeBron James and had reached the NBA Finals in 2007. Cleveland's General Manager Danny Ferry said Parker would be a great addition. He praised Parker's good shooting and defense. Cleveland also got Shaquille O'Neal and Antawn Jamison. The new Cleveland team won 61 games, the most in the league. Parker started all 81 games he played. In the first round of the playoffs, they beat Chicago. Cleveland then played the Boston Celtics. Even though Cleveland was expected to win, they lost the series 4–2. Parker started all 11 of Cleveland's playoff games.
After the 2010 NBA season, LeBron James and Zydrunas Ilgauskas left Cleveland for the Miami Heat. Other experienced players also left. This meant Parker, Antawn Jamison, and Anderson Varejão became the main leaders for the young team. Cleveland only won 19 games that season. But they did upset LeBron James' Miami Heat on March 29, 2011. In that game, Parker had eight rebounds and scored 20 points.
On June 27, 2012, Parker announced he was retiring from playing basketball.
Playing for the National Team
Anthony Parker also played for the junior United States men's national basketball team when he was in college. He was on the Under-22 team with future NBA All-Stars Tim Duncan and Paul Pierce. In 1996, the team won the gold medal at the FIBA Americas Under-21 Championship. They beat Puerto Rico twice. This win helped them qualify for the 1997 FIBA Under-21 World Cup. In the gold medal game, Parker scored 19 points. This helped his team win against Canada.
His Career as an Executive
After retiring from playing in 2012, Parker became a scout for the Orlando Magic. He worked as a scout until 2017. Then, he was promoted to be the general manager for the NBA G League team, the Lakeland Magic. He held that role until 2021. In 2021, he became an assistant general manager for the main Orlando Magic team. On July 5, 2023, the Magic officially announced that Parker was promoted again. He became the new general manager, taking over from John Hammond.
Anthony Parker's Family Life
Anthony Parker was born in Naperville, Illinois. His father played college basketball at the University of Iowa. His mother was a cheerleader. Anthony's younger brother, Marcus, also played basketball in high school. His sister, Candace, played in the WNBA. She was the number one pick in the 2008 draft. Anthony Parker married Tamy early in his basketball career. They had their first child in 2002. Parker is a Christian.
Images for kids
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Parker with the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2009
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Parker led the Israeli team Maccabi to many wins in Israel and Europe during his five years there.
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Parker in an interview with the Israeli press
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Anthony Parker playing for the Raptors
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When he returned to the NBA, Parker (far right) became the starting shooting guard for the Raptors.
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Parker as a Cavalier in a game against the Wizards on November 18, 2009
See also
In Spanish: Anthony Parker para niños
