UNCASVILLE, Conn. — On the NBA stage or in international competition, two of basketball's greatest foreign players, San Antonio Spurs' Tony Parker and Lakers' Pau Gasol, clashed on the hardwood and are now set to enter the Basketball Hall of Fame together.
But for a moment in their playing careers, they teamed up in San Antonio and for Gasol, it was a unique experience playing alongside the French basketball great.
"I was fun. It was different," Gasol said. "After so many years after facing each other internationally and in the NBA, the same with Manu (Ginobili), it was special and I was kind of excited."
From 2016-19, Parker and Gasol wore the same jersey in San Antonio and were not on-court rivals.
And that rivalry was at its apex in international games.
Led by Gasol, Spain would ultimately be Parker's French team's nemesis. The Spanish team halted France's dreams of winning more medals more often than not leaving Parker to wonder what could have been if his former Spurs teammates were not around.
“If Pau Gasol had not been born, we would have won more gold medals, " Parker said via BasketNews. “We have had a great rivalry with Spain."
During their time as Spurs teammates, they made the NBA postseason in 2017 and 2018. However, Gasol was hit with injuries as a Spur.
He suffered a finger break which required surgery in 2017, and in the 2018-19 season, he was out for 26 games with a foot injury.
It leaves one to think about what a healthy Gasol teamed with Parker could have been in San Antonio.
Regardless, the chance at playing with Parker was a major factor in why Gasol signed with the team.
"That was a factor. That played a factor in my decision on going to the Spurs," he said. "I wanted to provide quality to a team that was already great."
"Compete with those guys instead of competing against them."
Gasol would join the Bucks after his time with the Spurs was over in 2019 but he still remembers fondly the San Antonio community and the franchise's winning culture
"We loved the San Antonio community. The fanbase is great. Obviously, there's a strong Spurs imprint in this (Hall of Fame) class," he said. "It's fantastic what the Spurs have done throughout the last 20 years. It's been incredible."
As for playing with Parker, he appreciates that they have gone from basketball rivals to friends and now will forever be linked as Hall of Fame classmates.
"It was fun to have him as a teammate and now friends and now classmates of the Hall of Fame forever," Gasol said.
Twitter: @KENS5, @JeffGSpursKENS5