Regis Duvignau/ReutersTony Parker is France’s best player.
Doctors have cleared the way for Tony Parker to play for France in the Olympics, a huge boost for France’s hopes of winning a basketball medal for only the third time in Olympic history.
Parker’s status was in question after he sustained an eye injury during a fight at a New York nightclub last month, but the French basketball federation announced on Friday that two doctors commissioned by the San Antonio Spurs cleared him to play and that Spurs Coach Gregg Popovich had given him the O.K.
Parker posted the news on his Twitter page and added photos of his new protective glasses.
Je viens d’arriver à Paris avec une bonne nouvelle. Je vais aux JO !!!!!!!!! Je suis super content, j’ai eu le… http://t.co/2EN6P7B1
— tony Parker (@tp9network) 6 Jul 12
First practice with the glasses lol http://t.co/eGloyEkB
— tony Parker (@tp9network) 6 Jul 12
Understandably, his French coach, Vincent Collet, is thrilled that Parker will play. France has twice won a silver medal in the Olympics, in 1948 and 2000. Led by a series of spectacular performances by Parker, France finished second in EuroBasket 2011, raising hopes for another Olympic medal.
“It is great news and a relief for the whole France team,” Collet told The Associated Press. “I spoke with Tony on the phone and he sounded very happy — and also relieved — about this development. It was a difficult and alarming situation for everyone.”
The good news was tempered by the absence of Joakim Noah, the Bulls center who was ruled out of the Olympics after a knee injury knocked him out of the N.B.A. playoffs.
Tony Parker on WhoSay
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