Finally, at least a remnant of good news to come out of the Chris Brown-Drake fiasco: Spurs guard Tony Parker’s eye has healed enough to be cleared by doctors to compete in the London Olympics for the French team.
Parker suffered a scratched cornea from a piece a glass flying in the nightclub fracas in New York.
”The two ophthalmologists (from the Spurs) confirmed the opinion of the French doctor who operated on Tony Parker and the two Swiss specialists who also examined the player last Thursday, and indicated that he can resume playing,” the French Basketball Federation said today, adding that Spurs coach Gregg Popovich also gave his blessing.
Parker is joining the French squad in Orleans and he could play in a tuneup against England on Saturday.
France’s first game at the Olympics is against the United States on July 29.
”It is great news and a relief for the whole France team,” coach Vincent Collet said. ”I spoke with Tony on the phone and he sounded very happy – and also relieved – about this development. It was a difficult and alarming situation for everyone.”
Parker was included on the team’s 12-man Olympic roster as he waited to see whether his injury would heal in time. He said there was concern early that he could have lost his eye in the melee and has since issued a $20 million lawsuit against the nightclub.
The French squad will be without Chicago Bulls’ forward Joakim Noah, who has not fully recovered from an ankle injury suffered in the playoffs.
