PARIS (George Eddy's International Show) - Pau Gasol and Tony Parker are good friends and two of the best European players ever, if not, THE two best.

They invite each other to dinner in their homes or to great restaurants on the road.  What sets them apart is that Tony never beats Pau in the big games. It reminds me of the Bill Russell-Wilt Chamberlain rivalry in the 1960s because they were also good friends off the court but Russell usually came out on top on the court.

Pau and Tony are very different physically and have very different roles for their respective teams but there are also a lot of similarities between the two.

First of all, they are good people who give back to the community and to their home countries, which is proven by their faithfulness to their national teams over the last 15 years despite long, laborious seasons with their NBA teams.

They have great work ethic and have improved technically and physically throughout their careers. As both players have gotten older, they have become very serious about their diets, workouts, recuperation and weightlifting to the point that for Pau, at least, this produced the best game of his national team career against France in the fantastic EuroBasket 2015 Semi-Final in Lille, going for 40 points at age 35!

Both players love one-hand shots. Pau used to shoot free throws with one hand and he loves the jump hook shot with either hand. Tony invented and perfected the floater out of a quick jump stop in order to be able to shoot before the big men came to help. The floater or tear drop have become very popular shots with recent generations of players thanks in large part to Tony.

Both players became better outside shooters over the years. Both superstars grew up with "Golden Generations" surrounded by great players who helped them reach their lofty goals with their national teams.

In the end, one could say that Tony has had a better NBA career whereas Pau has been more dominant with his national team. This, too, depends on the teammates as Tony has won four NBA titles in five Finals with Tim Duncan while Pau won two titles in three NBA Finals with Kobe Bryant.

Tony has been durable since becoming a starter at the precocious age of 19 as he now figures among the best scorers and passers in NBA Playoffs history. Pau has three EuroBasket titles, two Olympic silver medals, one FIBA Basketball World Cup crown and always came out on top when he and Tony fought head to head.  

Tony has stated his frustration with those losses over the years and this motivated him to copy Spain's winning culture and finally break through in 2013 to win the EuroBasket in Slovenia, but Pau did not participate that year.

At EuroBasket 2007 in Spain, Tony missed key free throws in a Quarter-Final loss to Russia and Pau also missed crucial foul shots in the Final loss against that same Russia!

Both players have been fabulous over the years at bouncing back after devastating defeats which Tony says is a key component of a champion.

In 2013, Tony - after losing to Pau in 2009 and 2011 - and Pau this summer after losing to France - without Tony - at the 2014 FIBA Basketball World Cup in Spain again.

Now, at 33, NBA writers say Tony has lost some of his quickness after playing almost non-stop for 15 years. I say he will rebound once more by re-inventing himself as more of a facilitator than finisher in the coming years.

I talked with several French national team players who feel that Tony is ready and apt for this transition as he sees that his teammates are capable of assuming more of the scoring load. He started this process by playing that way in the second half of the Third-Place Game against Serbia at EuroBasket 2015.

Same thing in San Antonio where Tony and Duncan will be setting the table for LaMarcus Aldridge and Kawhi Leonard. Tony has already announced that he will be seeking sweet revenge and the ultimate rebound with his teammates by qualifying for the Olympics in Rio next summer.

Pau, despite being two years older than Tony, has never seemed so good but it's true that centers count less on their foot speed than guards and usually have longer careers. In the short run, speed beats height but in the long run, height outlasts speed! His biggest finish would be to finally beat the USA in an Olympic Final which certainly won't be easy. Eliminating LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers in the upcoming NBA season's Playoffs would be a crowning achievement too!

In any case, as we look back over the last 15 years, these will be the years of Pau and Tony, two immense champions and wonderful people who are fabulous examples to follow for upcoming generations of basketball players. Thanks for the great memories, guys, and keep up the good work!

George Eddy

FIBA

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