24 SECONDS WITH … RAPTORS GUARD ANTHONY PARKER
How often do you get asked about your sister Candace Parker and your brother- in-law Shelden Williams?
Often. Especially the day that we play Shelden in basketball. But it's fun, though. I enjoy it.
You don't get sick of being asked about your relatives, especially your sister? It's one thing to have a brother-in-law in the NBA. But do you get a lot of people throwing the Candace Parker card in your face in an unflattering way?
Occasionally you hear that, when you're visiting other arenas. … But it's fun. It doesn't get to me like maybe people think it would.
What do you hear most often?
"Your sister's better than you."
Not very original.
No. It's the same thing every time.
What does she say about all this? Does she feel bad?
No. … We joke, and we laugh about it. That's where it ends.
She's obviously in a unique situation because she's not just a good player. She's an excellent player who has gotten a lot of attention. Is that something in a sense that works against you?
Works against me?
As something for people to throw at you. In other words, if she was an average player, you wouldn't be hearing it.
I love the fact that she's who she is and she's done what she's done. I'm one of her biggest fans – obviously, a member of her family – and nobody could be more proud of what she's done and how she's handled everything. If one of the side effects of her success is that occasionally people say she's better than me, I'll take it every day.
When is the last time you guys played one-on-one?
Our schedules have been so crazy. Usually when we get together, it's just to work out and shoot. It's not a one-on- one situation. But I still can beat her one-on-one right now. In a couple years, when she's probably getting to that point when maybe she can beat me, I'll retire.
Do you trash talk when you beat her?
Oh, our family trash talks no matter what. Video games, whatever it is, trash talk has always been a huge part of what we do.
Did you know Shelden before he got serious with Candace?
I just knew of him. I knew of him at Duke. But I didn't know him.
When you're with him, do you talk basketball?
It's everything. Obviously when me, Shelden and Candace get together – and my other brother, for that matter – basketball's been a huge part of our lives and still is.
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