Sports Radio Interviews

Anthony Parker: I Put Myself On Par With A Player That’s 29, 30

Anthony Parker’s time is winding down in the NBA – not many more fresh towels or highly cushioned chairs in the locker room, and he’ll be saying goodbye to those gourmet almonds on the plane pretty soon.  Does his age matter with this Cavs team?  One of Cleveland’s two insurmountable issues in the postseason was their lack of a guy outside of Lebron who could get his own shot.  Parker does not fill that void, but when they traded for Shaq, they created more space on the floor.  Enter AP: a dead-eye three point gunner that knows how to play the game extremely well.  Shaq lives off playing with vets like this: your James Poseys, Robert Horrys, Derek Fishers, et al.  The 34-year-old Parker will fit in perfectly with this Cavalier team – as long as he doesn’t have to create his own shot.  Parker joined WKNRto discuss why he’s not worried about his three-point percentage dropping last season, how he feels younger than 34, and why he picked the Cavs.

Why did you choose the Cavaliers?

“Number one, they had the team that had the most interest.  From the beginning of the process, they did everything: they called right at midnight, they expressed interest, and really were very aggressive about trying to get something done.  For me, that meant a lot.  Regardless of the money and other opportunities, I wanted to go some place that wanted me, and I didn’t wanna get lost in the shuffle.  From day one, they really expressed to me where I fit in with what they’re trying to do.”

What’s it like to know you’ll be playing along side LeBron James?

“That’s also a bonus, that’s one guy down that I don’t have to defend anymore.  As we go around and play the different teams, LeBron was obviously one of the toughest checks for anybody in the league, and it’s better to join him and not have to play against him.  And, just the type of player he is, it just makes everybody else’s job so much easier.  He commands so much attention, and he’s a superstar but he’s a very unselfish superstar, and I think that’s why a lot of his teammates love playing with him.”

Your three-point percentage has gone down the last couple years.  What do you say to people who point that out?

“I still feel good and honestly, if this was ten years ago and I was 25 and I had a down shooting year, I think they’d call it just that.  Where percentages went down, you can point at a number of reasons and I’m not gonna make excuses but, whatever the reasons were, they went down.  One thing about it is, when people start playing next to LeBron, I think, most to a man, you see the percentages go up.  It’s because of the amount of attention, and you throw in to the mix Shaquille, the amount of attention those kind of players demand, and I think that leads to wide open shots.  The NBA’s a smart league, they figure people out after one year, and so I think the rule on me was don’t leave me from the three-point line.  So, that’s what teams did – they were able to stay home when I was in Toronto, and I don’t see that as a possibility in Cleveland.”

Since the European basketball schedule isn’t as grueling, how old do you feel in basketball years?

“I said at the press conference that I put myself on par with a player that’s been in the NBA, who’s now 29, 30 years old.  I haven’t had any major injuries, I still feel good, and honestly, my game’s never been based on my athleticism.  Not being athletic is not going to prohibit me from still being effective on the floor, so I think that’s another thing I have going for me.”

Listen to Anthony Parker on WKNR

Tags: Anthony Parker, Basketball, Cleveland Cavaliers, LeBron James, NBA, Shaquille O'Neal, Toronto Raptors