Going Global

AT 22, the Spurs' French-bred point guard Tony Parker has a championship ring, a mammoth contract (six years, $66 million) and a tabloid love life linked to Desperate Housewives actress Eva Longoria (inset). That has made him a man of international intrigue, as evidenced in his year-old website, www.tp9.net, which averages 1,500 hits a day and has both English and French versions. You can hear Parker's weekly talk show on the French radio network RCM--the son of a basketball player (his father) and a model, Parker grew up in Rouen--on which he's the questioner and the translator in interviews with NBA stars such as teammate Tim Duncan and Suns guard Steve Nash. Parker himself enjoys browsing his fan forum, which attracts postings from as far away as China and Japan. "Even if [some of what's said] is not true, it makes me laugh," he says of entries such as one from "luvpuppyalexis," who offered an explanation for why Parker is averaging career bests of 16.7 points and 6.2 assists: "ever since tony and eva went out [Feb. 5] it seems to me that he's been soooooooooooo much better i mean did you guys see him during the Toronto game. ... I almost believed I'm watching Michael Jordan. ... keep it up eva and tony." Parker's personal touches include family photos, a link to Northwestern (where his brother T.J. plays ball), a list of his likes (Fanta) and dislikes (Paris traffic) and postgame interviews with him. A Spanish version will be added soon, says Parker, "for all the people in San Antonio." --Sarah Thurmond

COLOR PHOTO

COURTESY OF WWW.TP9.NET (WEBSITE LOGO)

COLOR PHOTO

JIM RUYMEN/REUTERS (LONGORIA)