Anthony Michael Parker is what, or maybe who, this site is about. Anthony is 30 (or maybe still 29, sorry!) years old, American, married with one baby boy and he currently lives in Israel. His younger sister is very well known in the US, partly for her famous dunk. His other brother is a doctor.
Who is Anthony? What is he famous for?
Anthony is a great basketball player who plays "overseas". If you're American then probably that sums it up for you. But you would be wrong to look that way on the word "overseas". Actually, Anthony lives in Israel (a country in the Middle East) and plays for a team called "Maccabi", "Maccabi Tel Aviv" since it belongs to the main city of Israel, surprisingly called Tel Aviv. It still sounds boring and unimportant? Then you're still wrong. By wrong I mean that you just don't get it yet.
Maccabi participates in the Euroleague – the most professional basketball league of Europe. Honestly, basketball isn't really important for the Europeans. Indeed, the courts are usually not fully occupied by fans. But still, there are many talented European players who usually go to the NBA, which supposedly is the best basketball league in the world. But is it really so?
There are better things than the NBA
I had the chance to watch some NBA games. I also watched Jordan play in his good old days, and yes he was really good, the best. But the atmosphere is just missing in the NBA. Just take a look at the crowd, it looks like the Fifa (computer game) crowd, they can cheer in only two ways: clap their silly balloons or shouting "Defense! … Defense!". Now I'm a thinking person and it just looks silly. They come to the games to eat hotdogs and play with their balloons, they don't even watch the game. The players are nice, they are talented but this year Shaquille O'neil is in LA and the next year he's in Miami, it's just not fun.
In my opinion a team should be solid, and built up carefully. It should be in a way that you can relate between the team to the players and vice versa.
So what is the alternative?
Well currently, there isn't any typical solution to the situation. But there are other places to play basketball which I think, are more enjoyable, like here in Maccabi. You just need to watch one or two home games of Maccabi in the Euroleague to understand what the hell I'm talking about.
10,000 fans isn't much in the US but in Israel, that's a lot. In a homey basketball court called the "Nokia Arena" or better known as "Yad Eliyahu",
with the beautiful Israeli cheerleaders, all of the 10,000 fans are cheering together, singing songs like a giant choir. Jumping, screaming, dancing, they even play the drums (as if it was a soccer game), and when they all sing:
"Anthony Parker Ole Ole Ole" it does something for you, something that no NBA dunk can do, and I hope it does this for Parker too.
The Dream
Anthony Parker always refers in interviews to his wish to play in the NBA as "The Dream". I and many others think that Anthony can play in the NBA, not only he can play there but he can be better than many players. If you ask me, he's better than Kobe, Iverson and all these guys. His talent is just endless. His body abilities, game wisdom and wonderful character make him
THE BEST PLAYER ON EARTH. Yeah, that's it.
So Parker, you have nothing to prove, well maybe one thing…
I'd be happy if you prove to the guys "overseas", those managers from the NBA how wrong they are not to notice you and realize your skills.
I'd be happy if you make them regret.
Conclusion :(
All the people in Israel love you Anthony, and don't dismiss that, because we Israelis sometimes count, and we don't love people easily! So you should be really flattered.
Personally, I just wish you what makes you feel the best. I'd like to see you play where ever you choose to play because your game just makes one feel great for being alive!
Hehehe!
Check out this paragraph taken from Candace, Anthony's little sister's online journal (http://www.highschoolelite.com/playerjournals/candace3.html):
"
On Saturday, my brothers and I headed over to the court at this park near our house. We played a few games of 32 and one-on-one. We had a blast! I had so much fun talking junk and goofing off. My brother Anthony of course won both games of 32, but not without a struggle from Marcus and I. I wish they could live here all the time because I learn so much each time I play with them. That night three guys had the audacity to challenge us in 3-3. I swear man, we were running the Sacramento King’s offense against those three guys: back cuts, oops, and the pick and roll. We beat them all three games and I think they had a total of five points combined. My brother Anthony dunked over this dude so nasty that the people on the baseball courts went crazy. I love going to the courts and playing because the guys there do not think girls can play, but by the end I’m picked for teams first.
"
And that's it guys! Hope Anthony ever gets to read this.
