Tony Parker Denies Rift with Kawhi Leonard After Leaving Spurs for Hornets

Tony Parker denied that there was any rift with former San Antonio Spurs teammate Kawhi Leonard based on comments he made in March about his quadriceps injury. 

Speaking to The Undefeated's Marc J. Spears, Parker said he has "no problem" with Leonard:

"We never had an argument. When the journalist asked me if my injury was worse than Kawhi's, I said yes because it was true. But that didn't lessen the significance of his injury. He took over the franchise, and I gave up the torch of the franchise willingly. It's very sad that the media took one quote and made it sound like I didn't want to play with him. He was the face of the franchise."

Parker agreed to sign a two-year, $10 million deal with the Charlotte Hornets on Friday, per Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.com.

Parker told reporters the injury he suffered in May 2017 was similar to Leonard's issue with his right quad but "a hundred times worse" and required eight months of rehab. 

With Leonard seeking a trade from the Spurs, Wojnarowski and Zach Lowe (h/t Rob Lopez of Def Pen Hoops) reported June 29 that Parker's comments were the "last straw" for the two-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year. 

The 36-year-old Parker has spent his entire career with the Spurs since they drafted him at No. 28 overall in 2001. He averaged a career-low 7.7 points and 3.5 assists per game last season.