Anthony Parker

Who is Anthony Parker?

Anthony Michael Parker is a retired American professional basketball player who played in the National Basketball Association, as well as in Italy and Israel.

After graduating from Bradley University with a major in liberal arts, he entered the 1997 NBA Draft and played briefly in the NBA before plying his trade in Europe. There, Parker spent five seasons with the Israeli Super League basketball club Maccabi Tel Aviv and one season with the Italian Serie A club Lottomatica Roma. With Maccabi he won five Israeli Super League national championships, five Israeli National Cups, three European titles, and was voted two consecutive times Euroleague MVP.

After returning to the NBA as a free agent in 2006, Parker established himself as the Toronto Raptors' starting shooting guard, as well as one of the best three-point shooters and perimeter defenders in the league. In his first season with the Raptors, Parker helped the team clinch their first ever division title, first NBA Playoffs berth in five years, and best regular season record in franchise history. He helped the Raptors reach the playoffs again in the 2007–08 season, before becoming a free agent in 2009.