San Antonio Spurs

Tony Parker: 'The Spurs know I want to play until I'm 38'

Published Oct. 9, 2015 1:07 p.m. ET

foxsports

San Antonio Spurs point guard Tony Parker is coming off one of the worst years of his career, but that doesn't mean he sees it ending anytime soon.

"The Spurs know I want to play until I'm 38," Parker told Yahoo Sports in a recent phone interview. "That will be 20 seasons for me. That's my goal. This year is No. 15. And if I'm lucky enough and I'm healthy, hopefully I can play 20 seasons and then I'll be ready to retire."

Parker, 33, made $12.5 million in the final year of his last contract last season. This season will be the first year of the 14-year NBA veteran's new contract paying him a total of $43.3 million over the next three seasons. Parker said he has told Spurs coach Gregg Popovich and general manager R.C. Buford he wants a career-ending three-year contract in San Antonio after his new deal expires.

The 33-year-old recently told Yahoo's Marc J. Spears that he plans to play at least 20 seasons, which is surprising news considering how little he appears to have left:

Parker isn't nearly as explosive as he once was, and without a consistent 3-point shot in his repertoire, it's unclear how the Spurs could justify putting him on the floor three years from now, let alone five.

But crazier things have happened. Maybe Parker bounces back this season and then eventually replaces Manu Ginobili as the team's resident playmaker off the bench? Something along that line is probably what San Antonio officials have in mind.