Anthony Parker
Anthony Michael Parker ( born June 19, 1975 in Des Moines, Iowa ) is a former American professional basketball player who played in the NBA for the Cleveland Cavaliers. He played from 1997 to 1999 in the NBA for the Philadelphia 76ers and Orlando Magic, but with little success. Before Parker moved to the Toronto Raptors and thus back to the NBA in 2006, he played for the Israeli basketball club Maccabi Tel Aviv, with whom he was twice the ULEB Euro League win.
Career
College
Anthony Parker spent his time studying at Bradley University, where he 18.9 points per game and a three-point throw percentage of 42 % had in his third season.
Philadelphia 76ers
He was elected in 1997 at the NBA Draft by the New Jersey Nets, but transferred the same to the Philadelphia 76ers. From injury plagued, he was in two seasons in Philadelphia, only 39 will contest, in which he scored 1.9 points per game.
Orlando Magic
Before the season 1999/ 00 Parker was transferred along with Harvey Grant for Billy Owens to the Orlando Magic, where he could improve his stats, but still not convinced and was released in January and the rest of the season with the Quad City Thunder in the CBA.
Careers in Europe
Parker moved in 2001 to the first Israeli basketball league to Maccabi Tel Aviv. There he was to close the gap of varying Shooting Guards Doron Sheffer. In his first season with Tel Aviv, he won the championship and the cup. Personal highlight of the season was winning the Suproleague. In the following season he won with his team again both National title and was down to the Final Four of the Euro League advance. In 2002 he moved from Tel Aviv to Italy for Virtus Rome, but he left after six months and returned to Maccabi Tel Aviv
In 2004, Parker's career reached its climax: he could win both titles in Israel again, and also the MVP title for the best player in the Israeli league, as well as the Euro League. Tel Aviv hit Fortitude Bologna with 118:74. After the final of the Euro League tournament in 2004, Parker was honored as " Euro League MVP ." In the 2005 season, Parker and Maccabi Tel Aviv dominated the Euro League and the Israeli league. In the final of Euro League Final Four Tel Aviv beat the team of Tau Vitoria with 90:78, and was able to defend his title. Parker took after the final, his second MVP title as the best player of the last Euro League season against. In the 2005/06 season, the last season for him in Europe, he won for the 5th time the Israeli championship and the cup. In the Euro League, however, Maccabi Tel Aviv lost in the final against CSKA Moscow. After the season, Parker moved to the North American professional league NBA with the Toronto Raptors.
Anthony Parker was honored in May 2008 as one of the fifty major personalities of the sport of basketball in Europe. The ceremony was performed by the Euro League Basketball at an official ceremony at the Palacio de Deportes de la Comunidad de Madrid, Madrid (Spain).
Toronto Raptors
In 2006 he returned as a now 31 -year-old back in the NBA. In the Toronto Raptors, he managed to establish itself as one of the best three shooters in the league. In the first two years after his return, the Raptors even made it to the playoffs. After his contract expired in 2009, he was not re- committed, since one could undertake a promising rookie at his position with Demar DeRozan.
Cleveland Cavaliers
In summer 2009, he signed a contract with the Cleveland Cavaliers, who had with LeBron James, Shaquille O'Neal and Antawn Jamison several superstars in their ranks. Parker started in all 82 games of the regular season in which the Cavaliers were the best team. However, it was beaten in the second round of the playoffs to the Boston Celtics. Having lost after the season and James O'Neal, could win only 19 games the following season. Also in the 2011/12 season you missed the playoffs clear. On June 27, 2012, Parker announced end of his career.
Private
Anthony Parker is married and has one son. His younger sister Candace Parker is currently playing with the Los Angeles Sparks of the Women's National Basketball Association and is considered one of the greatest talents in women's basketball.
Achievements
- Israeli champion: 2001, 2002, 2004, 2005 and 2006
- Israel State Cup winners: 2001, 2002, 2004, 2005 and 2006
- Suproleague winner: 2001
- Euro League winner: 2004 and 2005
- Reaching the NBA Playoffs in 2007, 2008 and 2010
- MVP of the Israeli League: 2002
- MVP of the Euro League: 2004 and 2005
- MVP of the Euro League Final Four tournament 2004
- Euro League First Team: 2004 and 2005
- MVP of the Missouri Conference: 1995