The French basketball federation announced Friday that four-time NBA champion Tony Parker will take over as head coach of France’s under-17 men’s national team. The team has already qualified for next year’s FIBA U17 World Cup in Istanbul. The job will be Parker’s first head-coaching position, and the former San Antonio Spurs guard said his move to the sideline was inspired by the memory of his father, Tony Parker Sr., who died last month. Parker told ESPN’s Andscape that while sorting through his father’s belongings, he found a list of goals that Parker Sr. had written for his three sons. Among Parker Sr.’s wishes was the desire that his son Tony become a coach for the French national team and the NBA.

New York Times

This article originally appeared on Hoops Hype: The French basketball federation announced Friday that …

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