- Former NBA All-Star Tony Parker is now a partner at a French winery.
- Parker told Insider that he has always loved good food and wine and that it was a challenge not to indulge too much during his playing days.
Like many people, Tony Parker has had to balance his love of good food and drinks with staying fit.
The San Antonio Spurs legend is now a partner with French winemaker Michel Reybier's Château La Mascaronn and champagne brands. Parker told Insider that he has always loved wine, but while he was playing in the NBA, he needed discipline.
"I'm a big foody guy. I love to eat, that's for sure," Parker told Insider while promoting the new partnership. "Love great food, love my cheese and my wine and all that kind of stuff. But I try to find a happy middle because I don't want to be super heavy."
Parker, who is French, said it was challenging at times during his career to avoid wine and good food, but there was also constant motivation.
"I know if I ate it, I was not as good. So, I wanted to be good."
Even now, in retirement, Parker hasn't quite given into his cravings.
"My diet coach always tells me, like, the first two years when you retire, don't take [on] too many pounds, because those ones, you're never gonna lose them. Because as you're getting older, it's harder, obviously, to lose weight."
Parker, who retired after the 2018-19 season, said that he has enjoyed seeing NBA players grow to love wine and embrace the culture. Indeed, a growing number of players have become experts in the field, if not vineyard owners and partners themselves.
Parker believes the change occurred as tastes in the pop culture world began to shift.
"When I first arrived in 2001, the NBA guys, they were more into hard alcohol and the hip-hop world ... And then the NBA changed a little bit," Parker said. "You had the NBA dress code, so everybody had to dress up. At the same time, the hip-hop world did the same thing, you know, with Jay-Z, Kanye, they were wearing more suits. And then they decided to be more involved with champagne, especially Jay-Z. And I feel like now the NBA is really like enjoying the good wines."
Parker said he found an early connection with Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich over wine. Parker said Popovich, who has his own label with an Oregon winery, has some 3,000 bottles in his collection and constantly reads wine magazines.
Parker knew he wanted to get involved in the business side of wine while he was playing because of the wine-based dinner parties he would throw in San Antonio, often with renowned winemakers. Popovich often attended these parties.
"It was pretty cool for me to relate with my coach on that," Parker said. "At least if we didn't agree on the basketball court, at least we can agree on the good wines that we are gonna drink after the game."