There has been a recent trend for college basketball games to be played on Unites States aircraft carriers. There’s also been NBA basketball games played overseas, but for the first time ever, San Antonio point Guard Tony Parker took things up another notch this week.
Located 2.15 miles above sea level on the Aletsch Glacier, Parker put on his shades for his latest game of basketball.
.@tonyparker took his game to the Top of Europe, literally. #TeamTissot pic.twitter.com/FCJbZKpZJ2
— San Antonio Spurs (@spurs) September 15, 2016
Atop the Swiss Alps (11,332 feet), Parker got an invite like none other and made sure he didn’t pass this up.
“I’m always up for new challenges, so when Tissot, my long-term partner, suggested I play a game at the top of Europe, I thought it was a great opportunity to do something exceptional,” the San Antonio Spurs point guard told media members. “We don’t often get to play often in such extreme conditions.”
The 34-year-old Frenchman led his squad (ASVEL Villeurbanne) against a team comprised of Swiss Leaguers, with backdrop unlike any other. Despite the chilly temperatures — around 40 degrees and needing bubble jackets underneath their jerseys to play, fans, media and players were treated to breathtaking views.
We already know that Parker is clutch, but the phrase, “Ice in his veins” is a whole new meaning for the crafty four-time NBA Champion.
When he makes his return to the Spurs this upcoming season, Parker will open up against the Phoenix Suns Oct. 3 in a preseason game where the elevation is just over 1,000 feet, a far cry from the 11,000 feet atop the Swiss Alps.
