Tony Parker, Danny Green and Kawhi Leonard shared a court once again Monday night, but in a bizarre sight for Spurs fans, were on opposing sides for the first time in their careers.
It was a strange scene in Toronto as the Raptors beat the Hornets in an early regular season Eastern Conference matchup.
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Leonard was his usual self, scoring an efficient 22 points with a pair of steals.
Green scored 16 points while Parker, now in a backup role with Charlotte, scored six points in 15 minutes.
It was not so long ago that all three were in the starting lineup for San Antonio competing for an NBA championship.
But things changed dramatically last season, reportedly in part due to an icy relationship between Parker and Leonard.
A disgruntled Leonard was ultimately traded along with Green to the Raptors, and Parker signed with Charlotte.
Former teammates & #NBA champions Tony Parker & Danny Green embrace before game time in Toronto. #ThisIsWhyWePlay pic.twitter.com/P5P6rnWGxB
— NBA (@NBA) October 23, 2018
Parker and Green embraced one another during pregame warmups. Parker also spoke to the media during shootaround about the Spurs run with Leonard.
“We had a great run, seven great years, won a championship together. Loved playing with him. He’s a top three, top five best player in the league,” Parker said via Sportsnet in Toronto. “He plays both ways, both ends of the court. He can do everything. Definitely think the Raptors are going to be one of the best teams in the East just because he’s on that team.”
With a healthy Leonard, the Raptors are proving to be a force in the league. Toronto is 4-0 and Green sees many similarities to his days in San Antonio.
“It reminds of a team I used to play on,” Green told Sportsnet.
All three have moved on despite the unusual scene Monday and their final year in San Antonio.
"We’ve been very successful and sometimes you take it for granted,” Parker told Sportsnet. “We had a lot of great years so I’d rather focus on that.”