William Anthony Parker Jr., aka Tony Parker, is a French-American recreational poker player you probably know better as an NBA Hall of Famer who spent 17 season with the San Antonio Spurs (and one in Charlotte).

Parker, who has competed in both the World Series of Poker (WSOP) in Las Vegas and the WSOP Paradise series in 2023, is one of the all-time greatest point guards in NBA history.

Born on May 17, 1982 in Belgium, the future superstar athlete had a knack for basketball at a young age. He was selected by the Spurs with the 28th pick in the 2001 NBA Draft.

Early in his professional basketball career, he was underrated and some basketball experts felt the Spurs would be better off acquiring a flashier point guard such as Jason Kidd. But things worked out for Parker and the Spurs. The team held on to him for 17 seasons, winning four NBA titles during that span (2003, 2005, 2007, and 2014).

During his 18-year NBA career, the poker enthusiast averaged 15.5 points and 5.6 assists per game. He was the catalyst — the team leader — on many great Spurs teams. Parker retired from the NBA following the 2018-2019 season and was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2023. He made six NBA All-Star Game appearances and was selected as the Most Valuable Player in the 2007 NBA Finals, a Spurs series win over LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers.

READ: Former NBA Star Tony Parker Competes in WSOP Main Event