A quick perusal of the 1993 Naperville Central Yearbook, Arrowhead reveals a charismatic and well-liked senior who made both the “well-dressed” and “Top 20 Seniors” lists for his class. A leader both on and off the court, Anthony Parker was a true community contributor and an avid fan of all things Naperville Central.Though Parker’s basketball career led him to collegiate, European and NBA triumphs, some of his high school memories bring him the most genuine smiles. The 21st pick of the 1997 NBA draft remembers vividly Naperville Central’s win over East Aurora in the Sectional finals, when he sunk a 12-ft jump shot with 10 seconds left in overtime to send the Redhawks to the Sweet Sixteen for the first time since 1915. In an interview after the game with Chicago Tribune reporter Gary Reinmuth, a breathless Parker shared, "I wasn't even thinking…I went on automatic. I knew time was winding down, but I had no concept how much was left. I couldn't believe it when it went in." And in it went, much to the crowd’s – and the team’s - delight.Two decades after leaving NCHS, the 1997 graduate of Bradley University is now a scout for the Orlando Magic. Parker played 15 years of professional basketball – 9 in the NBA, where he averaged 9.1 points a game playing for Philadelphia, Orlando, Toronto and Cleveland, and 6 in Europe, making a definitive impact in Israel as he played for Maccabi Tel Aviv, leading his team to 5 Israeli Premier League championships, as well as 5 Israeli Cups, and 3 Euroleague titles. Named a two-time Euroleague MVP, Parker was recognized as one of the top 50 players in the 2007-08 celebration of European Club basketball. Parker played 494 NBA games, including 423 starts, made 40.4 percent of his 3-point field goal attempts, and scored 4,717 regular-season and playoff points. Lauded as a versatile, intuitive, hard working and steady team player, Parker won the Atlantic Division’s NBA Sportsmanship Award in 2007.Before his professional career, Parker left his mark at Bradley University; he was the 1996 Missouri Valley Conference Player of the Year as college a junior, leading the Bradley Braves to the regular-season league title and an at-large berth in the NCAA Tournament. According to BradleyBraves.com,“ In the first-round game of the 1996 NCAA Tournament against Stanford, Parker drained 8-of-10 3-point field goal attempts in a 34-point effort. As one of 15 Braves selected to the Bradley Basketball Team of the Century, Parker ranks ninth in program history with 1,683 career points. The 6-foot-6 shooting guard was a three-time All-MVC selection, earning second team notice in 1995 and first-team in honors in 1996 and 1997.” His leadership and achievements of and off the court prompted his inclusion in 2012 class of the Bradley Athletics Hall of Fame.Parker is married to Tamaris and is proud father to Alonso (10) and Julian (7). He hopes that today’s Redhawks will be thoughtful citizens of the world, as he shared Frank Outlaw’s insights, saying, “Watch your thoughts; they become words. Watch your words, they become actions. Watch your actions. They become habits. Watch your habits; they become character. Watch your character; it becomes your destiny.”In his high school, college and professional career, Parker did much more than “watch.” He acted – with purpose, conviction and a sincere belief in his dreams. That same thoughtful action can make a world of difference in the lives of Naperville Central students.