Fellow Frenchman Nic Batum knows the many faces of Tony Parker better than most:
Emphatic Tony. Stern Tony. Outraged Tony (usually toward referees). Elated Tony. But nervous Tony isn’t usually in the rotation. Monday it was.
“I think he’s nervous,” said Batum, who recruited future Hall of Famer Tony Parker to be a Charlotte Hornet this season. “Him tonight here: Crazy. He was the starting point guard for the most historic franchise in NBA history.”
That’s debatable (see Boston Celtics and Los Angeles Lakers), but you get the point. For the first time in 18 seasons, Parker faced the San Antonio Spurs as an opponent.