LOS ANGELES, United States (AFP) — Four-time NBA champion guard Tony Parker has been assigned to the San Antonio Spurs’ developmental-league squad as he recovers from left quadriceps tendon surgery, the team announced Wednesday.
The 35-year-old Frenchman practiced with the Austin Spurs at their training camp in San Antonio and was expected to do so again on Friday. The camp runs through Saturday ahead of Austin’s November 3 opener.
Parker suffered a torn quadriceps tendon in last season’s Western Conference playoff semi-finals. He was cleared by doctors to participate in the Spurs’ training camp last month and is slowly being prepared to return to the NBA club he helped to league crowns in 2003, 2005, 2007 and 2014.
Parker averaged 10.1 points in 63 regular-season games last season, his lowest total since his 2001-02 NBA rookie campaign.
Parker has career averages of 16.2 points on 49.3 percent shooting and 5.8 assists in 1,143 career regular-season games and 18.2 points and 5.1 assists in 221 career playoff games.
Dejounte Murray, a 21-year-old American, has replaced Parker in San Antonio’s starting lineup. He’s averaging 13.3 points and team highs of 9.7 rebounds and 4.7 assists so far this season.
© Agence France-Presse