[Spears] Parker was recently going through his late father’s belongings… “I went through his notes after he passed away, one of his notes was top 10 goals for his kids,” Parker told Andscape in a phone interview. “And when it came to me, it was coaching in the NBA and coaching the national team”

The Naismith Basketball Hall of Famer checked one goal off his father’s wish list by agreeing to become the head coach of France’s under-17 men’s basketball team participating in the 2026 FIBA Under-17 Basketball World Cup.

“When I went through his notes after he passed away, one of his notes was top 10 goals for his kids,” Parker told Andscape in a phone interview. “And when it came to me, it was coaching in the NBA and coaching the national team. That’s what he put on goals for me. So, it gives me a great inspiration and great motivation to follow this dream…

“I want to give back because I miss the court. I miss the adrenaline, the challenge, the drive to win something. The front office is fun, but it’s not the same as being on the court.”

Parker, who will be a head coach for the first time, has flirted with the idea of coaching for more than a year. He talked to legendary former Spurs head coach and Hall of Famer Gregg Popovich who advised him to “be all in” as a coach. Parker also had numerous conversations with his father about it.

Parker said he has turned down opportunities to be an assistant coach in the NBA but plans to pursue other coaching opportunities after the Under-17 World Cup.

“It has been a year that we’ve been talking about [coaching],” Parker said about his father. “And I told him that I was missing the court. And he’s the one who was like, ‘Let’s go. Let’s coach. Let’s go on the court, help those kids. And with all that knowledge that you have, let’s put it to use.’ It’s been great what I did with winning all those championships and been great what I did with the academy, but it’s not the same as being on the court.

“And so, my dad was like, ‘Let’s do it.’ That’s why it’s funny that on his birthday, October 15, I got the call that I got the job.”

Parker’s hope is to eventually coach in the NBA or in Europe.

“I felt like this is the best way to start and to honor my father,” Parker said. “The national team was how I started my playing career, playing the European Championship when I was 14 years old. I thought it was pretty cool to start with the Under-17s, especially with everything I do in my academy, and then go with professionals."