A divorce scandal has no place in a basketball headline, yet here we are.
The story isn’t likely to go away soon considering the nature of the rumors being circulated and the profiles of both Tony Parker and his soon-to-be ex-wife Eva Longoria Parker, but the Spurs’ point guard did what he could to make a clear distinction between his public and private life on Wednesday evening.
Prior to the Spurs’ game against the Bulls, Parker dispensed the expected sound bites.
“It’s a difficult time right now for me and Eva,” Parker said. He noted that the two are preparing an official statement, and that “everything else is our private life.” The halls in the belly of the AT&T Center were filled with video cameras, but this is all they’ll get from Parker. It’s clear he has no intention of humoring tabloid readers with anything even remotely “juicy.”
Parker was, however, prompted to respond to the rumor that he was allegedly involved with the wife of a teammate or former teammate. He went back to a theme I’m sure basketball fans will hear a lot of in the coming days, and sadly, weeks: “That’s my private life.”
It’s sad that a story like this one will dominate the NBA news circuit, but Parker insisted that the media hoopla surrounding the announcement of his divorce won’t affect his play or the Spurs as a team in any meaningful way.
“I’m having great support from my teammates and my coaches,” Parker said. “I’m focused 100% on the Spurs and trying to win basketball games.” One can’t help but wonder the validity of his claims should the rumors of his involvement with an ex-teammate’s wife turn out to be true, but regardless, this is all that those outside of the organization are likely to get. The Spurs will continue to broadcast the company line until interest in the topic subsides, and no one should expect anything else.
Gregg Popovich was equally dismissive of the topic, though he did offer an obligatory address.
“Well, this is a difficult situation for everyone, obviously,” Popovich said. “But Eva and Tony are two people we love and care about and we wish them both the best as they move through this. That’s really all I have to say about it.” There are no lines to read between and no words to parse through. This is the front that Parker, Pop, and the Spurs will present until the storm if sufficiently weathered, and the rest of us would be wise to move along.
