The Real-Life Diet of Tony Parker, Who Sent His Chef to Train in France

Jon Gugala
·8 min read

Photograph: Getty Images; Collage: Gabe Conte

Tony Parker, pioneering French athlete and era-defining point guard for the San Antonio Spurs, is playing a new role: sommelier. GQ caught him just after holding court at Miami’s Sexy Fish, where the 42-year-old is promoting Champagne Jeeper and Château La Mascaronne, the pair of French vineyards with which he became a partner in 2022. Far from a knee-jerk second act, it’s one Parker has been training for since his early days in the National Basketball League.

Part of the 00s vanguard of European talent, Parker—alongside Spain’s Pau Gasol and Germany’s Dirk Nowitzki—broke team and League records while opening doors for other European athletes to follow. Parker remained with the Spurs for all but the final year of his career, during which he contributed to the team’s four championships between 2003 and 2014, achievement that earned him a spot in the Hall of Fame last year. And as it turns out, Spurs coaching legend Gregg Popovich was also passing along some lessons about wine that whole time.

GQ: You’ve had a longtime, well-documented love of wine. But how has it been to own a share in a vineyard or two?

Tony Parker: I love it. I started young, when I was 17, through the parents of my girl at the time. They were the ones who made me try good wines—my family, we couldn’t afford those. And then, when I was 19 and drafted by the Spurs, I was able to afford those kind of wines and created a great bond with Coach Pop. He’s a huge collector—I think he has almost 3,000 bottles. On the planes, he’d read all those wine magazines, and so that’s how we started to do dinners. Once a month, I would invite wine industry professionals and Spurs teammates and staff, and then the next day, we'd have the Spurs game. In the summers I would go and meet them [in France] to work on my allocation to make sure I could have good bottles. Spending time with all those people made me, at the end of my career, want to invest in a vineyard.

You’re 42 now. That’s almost a quarter of a century with wine. How has your palate developed over that time?

I think you can always learn more about wine. I grew up in France, and it’s a big culture for us. But you can make wine everywhere. I love to try different wines, different countries. Hopefully, by the time I leave this life, I can try as many wines as possible.

When I see the evolution, it’s just like the U.S.: When I arrived in ’01, it was hard to find good restaurants in some cities. Just to give you an example, back in the day, cheese, it was pasteurized, not even the real thing. Over the years and all the knowledge coming from all the different chefs, especially French chefs moving to the U.S., now you can eat very, very well everywhere.

What’s the winemaking region you’re most excited about right now?

For me, Bordeaux. If I had to go to an island, and I could only bring one bottle, it would be a bottle from the Bordeaux region. If I had to go with a country? Spanish wine. The Spanish, they do very, very good wine.

You’re a partner in a champagne vineyard. Where would you recommend someone start?

Oooo, that’s a great question. Depends on your budget.

Well, let’s go baller, and let’s go budget.

(Laughs.) If you want to go all in, I think you can never go wrong with Salon. Salon is an unbelievable champagne. They only make 60,000 bottles. It’s a very, very high-end, premium champagne. And then, if you want to start slow, I feel like Jeeper, which I own, it’s a good way to start, because we have 10 different wines: the Blanc de Blancs, the Blanc de Noirs, the Rosé, the Brut, Blanc Assemblage. You can try all of our different tastes to see what kind of champagne you prefer.

As a man raised in Europe, what was it like to eat in the States in the early Aughts?

It was just tough, because it was a lot of fast food or Tex-Mex, you know. It was a lot different from what I’d known. When you eat in France, they always tell you, Oh, that ingredient comes from there, and this is from that market. The U.S. now, they have a big awareness about the food. A lot of the restaurants that opened are more health-oriented and different choices.

Did challenges with food early affect your performance?

I hired a chef, so I was OK. (Laughs.)

Was it difficult to find a chef who could make these choices?

I sent him to France to learn. (Laughs.)

How was it adjusting to the cultural differences between the European leagues and the NBA?

For me, personally, I loved it. Remember, my dad was American, so I felt like I had the best of both worlds: the American way, super positive, high confidence and always believing they can do anything. And then the European side: When everything is good, don’t be too high on yourself, and when everything is bad, don’t be too hard on yourself. A happy middle manages the ups and downs of a career.

You and your era of the point guard meant driving to the net rather than the modern Steph Curry shootout from behind the key. And at six-two, you weren’t the biggest guy. So how is your body now after such a long, physical career?

Body feels great. I was very blessed—I never really had a big injury in my 22-year career. I always felt healthy through the long seasons with the Spurs and going to the Finals, and then in the summer, playing with the [French] national team. I only had one big injury, when I was 35: I ruptured my quad and my quad tendon, and so I was out for eight months. After that, I played two more years.

Now that I’m retired, my body feels great. I play basketball twice a month, I play paddle tennis. I try to work out three, four times a week. I feel no pain. So I feel pretty blessed.

What motivates you now to work up a sweat?

To be able to eat and drink. (Laughs.) When I work out, I can allow myself to have a good dinner and a good glass of wine or champagne. That’s my reason.

Are there rules you have for your diet? Guidelines, restrictions, or golden rules to which you adhere.

I don’t have a diet. I eat healthy and try to not abuse things. The biggest thing when you retire is just the amount of food. When you burn three- to five-thousand calories, you can eat a bunch. So now, I’m careful on the amount that I’m eating.

Besides food and great wine, what else have you found to be effective additions to your diet?

It’s funny that you say that. I’ve been blessed with my body, so I don’t take any supplements. I don’t take anything. The only thing that I will take sometimes is [nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug] Celebrex.

Pre-draft and -Spurs, you considered the NCAA system. So, it’s a fair assumption to say you were interested in learning. How are you challenging your mind post-retirement?

Well, it will never be like when I was playing in the NBA. There will never be the same adrenaline. It was an unbelievable, unique experience, but you have to move on. I stay very active with all my different businesses. I have a lot of different activities that keep me busy.

When you started with the Spurs, you were only the third Frenchman ever to play in an NBA game. As of October 2024, there are 14 currently playing, and a total of 40 countries outside the U.S. are fielding athletes. How have you seen the sport change regarding international athletes?

I think it’s amazing. I feel very proud to be one of the pioneers of French basketball and to inspire a whole generation. That was the vision of [NBA commissioner] David Stern, to make the game global. And when the Dream Team came to Barcelona for the [1992] Olympics, a lot of guys—me, Gosol, Nowitzki, we all saw them and came to the NBA and inspired a whole new generation of players. I think it’s great for the game, and it’s great to see that talent can come from anywhere.

I understand your longtime San Antonio home is on the market. Does that mean you’re considering a move?

I’m between the U.S. and France. I haven’t decided where I’m going in the U.S.

What are some of the factors you’ll consider?

The weather. (Laughs.)

How much does local food have to do with choice?

We can eat very well in the U.S. anywhere now. It’s not a factor.

Originally Appeared on GQ

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