As of October 8

For the very first time in the history of the Grévin, basketball takes centre stage in the person of Tony PARKER, the first French NBA Champion to play with the San Antonio SPURS.

To design Tony's "twin", the sculptor Claus Velte and  Grévin's artistic Workshops ran a race against time and...won it!  The challenge: produce a waxwork in under three months.

 Over four hours of interviews with the player were needed to obtain all the information required: measurements, colour of his eyes, 3D pictures, photos, videos, finally a face-to-face confrontation in early August with the clay model to check that the copy and the original were as one.

Tony's double is standing, poised to pass the ball, wearing his NBA gear - which he wore throughout the last season. His uniform will be different when he plays with the French National team.  His figure will be placed next to other sporting greats: Amélie Mauresmo, David Douillet, Philippe Candeloro, Fabien Barthez, Zinédine Zidane, Thierry Henry,…

Tony grew up with basketball.  His dad won the French Cup in 1984 and his godfather, who sadly died young, was none other than Jean-Pierre Staelens, the player with 100 selections.  Tony Parker actually started off playing football, but he finally chose basketball after seeing the famous Bulls player Michael Jordan in action.  His relatively small stature led to him playing point guard, a position he is perfectly happy with as he enjoys that kind of responsibility.

As of October 8, the Grévin (which has just re-opened its Hall of Mirrors, to background music by Manu Katché) will be giving all our future basketball champions the opportunity of "measuring up" their skills with those of the French basketball king, Tony Parker.  The illusion will become reality in this unforgettable Parisian tourist attraction where visitors enjoy the privilege of meeting the celebrities of our time and of our yesterdays.  Camera!

Our thanks go to Bernard Pivot, President of the Académie Grévin and to all its members for having elected Tony Parker, a key player in global basketball, in October 2005.