Working With Candace Parker Is Priceless, Says Ro Parrish
Back in September 2019, future Hall of Famer Candace Parker signed a multi-year extension with Turner Sports.
“I’m so excited to be returning to Turner Sports to work alongside the best teammates in the world,” said Parker. “I look forward to building on my experiences and learning, working, growing and most importantly, laughing, while covering a game that I love dearly.”
Since joining the network back in 2018, the 2016 WNBA Finals MVP, has held her own even putting “The Diesel” in his place on numerous occasions. Including, when her co-host Adam Lefkoe referred to her as the “reigning Defensive Player of the Year.”
“You were Defensive Player of the Year?” Shaq asked, according to Victoria Hernandez of the LA Times.
Parker responded with “Take the surprise out your voice.”
“She’s always bullying me,” the big man said, laughing at the consist ency of their jokes.
Another colleague of hers calls her the MVCP.
“Candace Parker, I call her the MVCP [Most Valuable Candace Parker] because she brings so much to the table, and it is rare to see an active professional athlete also doing television. So, her doing that, she became a trendsetter from that aspect, and from day one, when she came in, she was locked in,” said Ro Parrish.
“She knew that the was a current player, but at the same time, she didn’t want to be just a current player sitting in and talking about the game. She really focuses like I want to be great at this; now, I didn’t hear that come out of her mouth, but I witness how she carries herself around everybody and embracing the Turner culture and all that it offers. And not really shying away from wanting t o be great in something else besides her chosen profession, which is basketball.”
He continued:
“She also wants to be great at television as well, and I love working with Candace. We have conversations outside of basketball. We are both Jay-Z Stans, so we have conversations about lyrics. I will send her mixtapes through text, so we have a side relationship as far as music goes. So, I also enjoy conversations about music, or I drop a line over a highlight, setting her up, or having the opportunity to talk to someone as legendary as her. Who’s won championships, the MVP having some that has that basketball knowledge is priceless.”
Candace Parker is taking a hiatus from TNT at this time because she is in the middle of the WNBA season with the Chicago Sky. In the off-season, Parker decided to leave the Los Angeles Sparks in free agency and wanted to play for her hometown team.
Landon Buford is an accomplished sports and entertainment journalist based in Richardson, Texas, with over a decade of experience covering the NBA, WNBA, NFL, WWE, MLB, and the entertainment industry. Known for delivering high-impact stories and headline-making interviews, Buford has earned a global audience through content that blends insider access with compelling storytelling.
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