Selecting the San Antonio Spurs’ Mount Rushmore

Tony Parker (Photo by Ronald Cortes/Getty Images)

San Antonio Spurs: Tony Parker

With Gervin already chosen for the Spurs’ Mount Rushmore and two spots reserved for the Twin Towers, the biggest argument is whether to select Tony Parker or Manu Ginobili. It’s a tough one since Ginobili is great in his own right, but Parker was simply better at his peak and played longer. Parker spent 18 seasons with the team and was part of the Spurs’ famed big three, alongside the aforementioned Ginobili and Tim Duncan.

As the youngest member of the trio, Parker initially served as the third option but steadily took on a larger role within the Spurs’ offense. In 2007, he carried the Spurs to their fourth championship by leading the team in scoring and assists just as Ginobili and Duncan began to decline. Still, he really didn’t reach his full potential until coach Gregg Popovich handed him the keys to the offense in the 2011-12 season.

Parker was responsible for helping orchestrate the Spurs’ famous “Beautiful Game” offense. That read-and-react offense was key to the Spurs reaching three consecutive Western Conference Finals, back-to-back NBA Finals, and winning a championship in 2014. Even after his prime, Parker still contributed to the Spurs as a pass-first point guard, helping the team win at least 60 games in consecutive seasons with Kawhi Leonard and LaMarcus Aldridge as their best players.

Parker retired in 2018 and is the franchise’s third-leading scorer with 18,943 points and the leader in assists with 6,829. He was also a four-time all-star, won the 2007 NBA Finals MVP, and has four championships. That’s an amazing career.