San Antonio Spurs guard Tony Parker said he might miss the Olympics after revealing he almost lost his eye in a New York nightclub incident earlier this month. San Antonio Spurs guard Tony Parker said he might miss the Olympics
San Antonio Spurs guard Tony Parker said he might miss the Olympics after revealing he almost lost his eye in a New York nightclub incident earlier this month.
Parker was at the club when a fight broke out between musical artist Chris Brown and entourage members of hip-hop star Drake.
In an interview posted on his website Sunday, Parker said an additional round of medical tests last week found that a shard of glass had “penetrated 99 percent” of his left eye.
The injury was initially thought to be a scratched cornea.
“I can say today, I almost lost my eye,” he said, adding that it negatively affected him mentally. “I hallucinate. I just spent eight days trapped in my hotel. I was not allowed out to prevent infection. I was so afraid that I have not left my room. I asked myself many questions. I cannot believe that happened to me a month before the Games. Every two hours, I have five different products to put in the eye.”
Parker, 30, would be the top player on a relatively strong French team at the Olympics. Without him, though, the French field a less-imposing roster with NBA players Joakim Noah, Nicolas Batum and Boris Diaw.
Parker said he would decide on the Olympics after consulting with a New York eye specialist July 5. France begins play July 29 against the U.S. team.
San Antonio would have a large say in whether he played in London, Parker said. “The Spurs are very worried,” he said.
Parker finished fifth in most-valuable-player voting last season, helping take San Antonio to the Western Conference finals, where they held a two-game lead over Oklahoma City before losing four in a row.
Parker also confirmed in the interview he was suing the nightclub, W.i.P. (Work in Progress). Media reports said he was seeking damages of $20 million, citing negligent security and supervision in allowing the fight to occur.
Heat celebrate
in the streets of Miami
MIAMI — The NBA championship trophy was center stage, bathed in white light and sitting on a pedestal. And each Miami Heat player offered it a different greeting.
Mike Miller bowed. Udonis Haslem kissed it three times. Chris Bosh hugged it, and LeBron James strolled past before waving at the crowd.
Dwyane Wade did something different. In a nod to his preferred postgame fashion style throughout the playoffs, he emerged with a pair of faux eyeglasses and slipped the frames onto the neck of the trophy. Heat president Pat Riley, coach Erik Spoelstra and team managing general partner Micky Arison all donned the black spectacles as well at various points during the party.
The glasses were fake. The sentiments were all real.
And with that, two years after Wade, James and Bosh opened their time together with a celebration, they got the party they really wanted on Monday. An estimated 400,000 people filled the streets of Miami for the Heat championship parade, and then 15,000 more got into the arena afterward for a long, loud reception for the NBA’s new kings.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
