Candace Parker on What It Means to be the First Woman to Call the NBA All-Star Game
In an interview with Sports Illustrated, Parker reflected on her returning role, her decision to join the Aces, the Kyrie Irving trade and working with Shaq.
Candace Parker was 14 years old when Allen Iverson diced up Jason Kidd, outshined Kobe Bryant and seized the MVP award of the 2001 NBA All-Star Game. It was the kind of fireworks show that sparks the imagination of a young fan, the kind of memory that endures for a lifetime.
“It was the comeback by the East,” Parker recalled, mentally replaying the famous fourth quarter of that game, “and Allen Iverson put the team on his back. And they were going back and forth, battling Kobe. And Allen Iverson did the little layup under his arm.”
It would be another four years ago Parker starred in Tennessee, five years before she’d become the first woman to dunk in the NCAA tournament, seven years before she’d become the No. 1 pick in the WNBA draft and 17 years ago she’d become a full-time analyst for Turner Sports, making history all along the way. But that dazzling Iverson moment stuck, and resonates even more now, as Parker prepares to call the 2023 All-Star Game as an analyst for TNT—the first woman to do so.
The game will be played at Salt Lake City’s Vivint Arena on Feb. 19.
“I’m a fan first and foremost of the NBA and especially the All-Star Game,” says Parker, a two-time WNBA champion and two-time MVP. “And so I think the fan of the game, and the childhood Candace is—I have to pinch myself to believe that I’m doing it, and that I’m able to have a courtside seat to see the best players in the world .”
Turner Sports is announcing the full broadcast team today, with Brian Anderson calling the game, flanked by Parker and Reggie Miller as analysts. It will be Anderson’s first All-Star Game, Miller’s 16th. Dennis Scott will be the sideline reporter.
Parker, 36, launched her TV career in 2018 with Turner Sports, appearing on TNT, NBA TV and March Madness broadcasts. In ’20, she became part of the new Inside the NBA Tuesday studio show, alongside Shaquille O’Neal, Dwyane Wade and host Adam Lefkoe. (Wade has since been replaced by Jamal Crawford.) A 15-year veteran in the WNBA, Parker signed last week with the Las Vegas Aces.
Parker reflected on her recovering role, the Kyrie Irving trade and several other topics in a phone conversation with Sports Illustrated on Monday evening. The interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.
