OAKLAND – When Quinn Cook was a child, he bought a DVD called ‘Ankle Breakers’ so he could study the NBA players he admired.
One of those videos had an extended segment on Tony Parker. Cook poured over his moves, trying to emulate them.
Now the 25-year-old Cook, who was on a two-way contract this season before he secured a spot on the playoff roster in early April, said that Parker is one of the reasons why he’s where he’s at now.
“I got my spin move from Tony Parker,” Cook said. “…Tony Parker has been a big influence for me.”
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In the Warriors’ first-round playoff series against the San Antonio Spurs, the student has had a chance to go head-to-head with his master. The experience has been a bit surreal for Cook, who grew up watching Parker help the Spurs become a dynasty.
Cook never rooted for the Spurs — in fact, far from it. Cook was a huge Los Angeles Lakers fan, who cried when the Spurs swept them out of their first-round series in 2013.
But Cook was always drawn to Parker.
When Cook watched Parker, a four-time NBA champion and a six-time All-Star, he saw himself — or at least what he could become. They’re both 6-foot-2, and only five pounds separate the 185-pound Parker from the 180-pound Cook.
“Tony, he’s never been the most athletic, but he’s always been fast and quick,” Cook said. “And he’s found angles to slither around defenses.”
Cook studied Parker so closely that when he guarded him this series, he was actually able to anticipate some of his moves.
“It’s funny, I was telling Kevin [Durant] the other day, I knew a move that he was going to before it happened just because of how much I watched him,” Cook said.
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Cook has averaged 6.8 points on 41.7 percent shooting and 1.3 assists in 19.8 minutes through the first four games of the playoffs. It’s crazy to think that he’s a rotation player for the reigning NBA champions in the playoffs, considering just a few months ago he was in the G-League.
But after Curry sustained a sprained ankle followed by a Grade 2 MCL sprain in his left knee, Cook became the team’s starting point guard on March 10. He finished in double-figures in 14 straight games, including scoring at least 20 points in six of them.
Warriors’ coach Steve Kerr said he had a feeling Cook would explode in his new role. But he said what truly earned him a spot on the playoff roster was his attitude. Kerr called Cook the ultimate professional, praising him for his preparation heading into games and his team-first attitude.
Cook, who has come off of the bench behind Shaun Livingston so far this postseason, said the playoffs definitely feel different from the regular season. But he says his confidence has grown after each game.
“Every possession is intense, guys aren’t taking any plays off,” Cook said. “You turn the ball over, you can’t feel sorry for yourself. You’ve got to get back on defense. You see it in all these playoffs. They’re so physical, so intense. It’s been fun to watch and also be a part of.”
Even now, Cook still has a copy of ‘Ankle Breakers’ downloaded onto his current laptop. But he hasn’t watched it yet this postseason.
Instead, he’s had the opportunity to learn from Parker in a much more intimate way. Parker, now 35 years old, has played in the playoffs 17 straight seasons.
And Cook continues to study his every move.
“For him to be so good this late in his career says a lot about him,” Cook said. “He’s just so smart. I couldn’t imagine guarding him 10 years ago.”