The pain of an athlete: The story of Jabari Parker

 

Recently I saw a video of Jabari Parker, an ex-NBA player who currently plays for Barcelona BC in Euroleague, crying when he was asked about his first season outside of the United States.

It was really heartbreaking seen a player like Jabari who used to be on top of the world, like this. Parker, in his early days was considered one of the best young player of his generation, a future superstar who was compared to the likes of Carmelo Anthony and Paul Pierce.

But what actually happened? How a player who was compared to such NBA greats, is out of the league at just 29 years old? What is hiding behind his tears? Let's find out!

Early days

Jabari Parker was born in the year of 1995, March 15 in Chicago's south community area. Parker's first basketball steps were made in his local meeting house at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints since Chicago's basketball playgrounds were extremely dangerous.

Parker was ahead of his competition from his fifth grader days. After finishing his high school career, he chose to attend Simeon Career academy following the steps of Chicago's fellow hometown kid, Derrick Rose. 

High School phenomenon

Jabari Parker was on the cover of Sports Illustrated, a rare feat for a high school player

Parker was a beast in high school. He was so good that Sports Illustrated had him on the cover. Let me tell you that there are not many high school players who have achieved this kind of feat.

Parker had it all. A 6'9 power forward with crazy athletic abilities, capable of scoring inside and outside of the basket while having amazing dribble and playmaking skills.

There is only one player that could do all this together and is not other than Lebron James himself. Yes, Parker was so good that people compared him to Lebron. 

What also made him great is his character. A down to earth person and a team player, Parker was a model athlete on and off the court. NBA scouts love those characteristics in a young player.

NCAA superstar

Parker had many D1 offers but the two that stand out the most were Duke and Michigan state. After months of thinking, Parker committed to Duke university, a program who is notorious at creating NBA talent players.

Parker was dominant in his one and done season. With averages of 19 points per game 8 rebounds and 36% from the 3-point line he destroyed the competition. No team or defensive game plan could stop him.

Parker scored 20+ points in his first 7 games and stayed consistent the whole year. He showed to everyone why he was the best player in the upcoming draft.

NBA draft

The 2014 NBA draft was seen by many of the most talented drafts of all time, Parker was drafted 2nd overall

Parker, after a successful year at Duke, declared for the 2014 NBA draft who was seen by many, one the most if not the most talented draft classes of the recent history.

In a draft class consisting future MVP's in the faces of Nikola Jokic (41st pick), Joel Embiid (3rd pick) and stars such as Aaron Gordon and Andrew Wiggins who at that time was seen like the next NBA big thing, Parker was drafted 2nd overall by the Milwaukee Bucks.

A promising start but...

Jabari Parker (right) and Giannis Antetokunmpo (left) on their first season together

Milwaukee's ultimate goal was to create a superstar duo with Parker and rising star Giannis Antetokoumpo. Of course, they had to be patient but it was worth the wait. Drafting two generational talents on back to back drafts, is not guaranteed.

The first taste of their experiment seems to work. Milwaukee started the season a lot better than the previous one with a record of 10-7. Parker was playing great, scoring in double figures 11 times in that span.

But everything collapsed on December 18 in an away game against the Phoenix Suns. Parker drove to the basket and collided with suns forward PJ Tucker. He landed awkwardly to his left knee and fell to the floor. 

It was evident from the start that the injury was serious. An MRI the next day revealed the worst, an ACL tear. 

Parker's rookie season was cut short at just 25 games and he had to be sidelined for the rest of the year.

Better than ever

Having such a serious injury at just 19 years of age can shook a player's confidence. But Jabari had none of that. He stayed humble and worked as hard as he could to return better than ever.

And that's what actually happened. Parker used that time off to develop and learn more about the game as he was rehabing from injury. 

Learning more about the game is crucial for a one and done player. For Parker the time off was a chance to adjust faster to the NBA style of play.

After a slow start to the 2015-2016, Parker started showing signs of greatness. He hadn't missed a beat and his athleticism was out of the roof. Parker after the first 4 games, scored in double digits for the next 16 out of 18 games.

Parker for the year averaged 14 points per game while playing 76 games. The ACL injury was in the past and everyone had forgotten it. The future seemed bright for the young star.

NBA Superstar..

The 2016-2017 season was the year of Parker's breakout to an NBA superstar. Parker started the year out hot, scoring 20+ points in the first five games of the season!

Parker kept the same scoring outing the whole season averaging a career best 20 points per game. Even though Milwaukee was still an average team record wise, Bucks fans had a lot to cheer about.

Two promising young superstars in the faces of Parker and Antetokounmpo was more than the fanbase could ask. Not only, that but Milwaukee was now Parker's team. He was taking the most shots out of any player and had the highest usage rate while being efficient at the same time.

Nothing could stop him from becoming the player that everyone had foreseen back in his high school days. Nothing until...

The second ACL tear

It was the 8th of February 2017. Bucks were facing Miami Heat in Milwaukee. Parker was playing another great game, having 14 points on 6 of 11 shooting.

With 6 minutes left on the 3rd quarter, Parker drove to the basket and landed awkwardly once again on the same knee he injured two years ago. This time it was a non-contact injury.

From his facial expressions you could tell how bad the injury was. Jabari knew from the moment he fell. A very awful but familiar feeling. 

He was helped out of the court. The MRI the next day revealed another ACL tear. Parker would miss the rest of the season. Another huge blow to one of the league's future stars...

Unwanted

The road to recovery was difficult once again but Parker knew what he had to do. This time though, it was different. 

When Parker returned back to action in early February, it was evident that Bucks weren't his team anymore. 

Even though he had some good performances like a 35 point-10 rebound outing in April 1 against Denver Nuggets and averaged 12.6 points with shooting splits of 49% field goal and 38% from three, something was different.

Bucks were now Giannis team, who was becoming one of the best players in the league and a future MVP candidate. Not only that but the team performed better the previous season when Parker was injured, having a 20-11 record without him.

Parker was unwanted. In the first round of the playoffs  against Boston Celtics, Parker's contributions were little. Bucks were eliminated after a 7-game series and let Parker go in the free agency.

5 teams in 4 years

Jabari Parker with the Chicago Bulls

In the 2019 free agency Parker signed a 2-year 40 million deal with Chicago Bulls, returning back to his hometown. 

A young team in a rebuilding mode was what Parker was needed to revive his career. But things didn't go as planned. Parker had lost his confidence. Not only that but he was subpar on defense, a part of his game that he never developed.

Parker fell out of the rotation and after 39 games, Bulls had enough and traded him to the Washington Wizards. 

Parker played 3 more years in the NBA with the Atlanta Hawks, Sacramento Kings and lastly the Boston Celtics. He only played 66 games, not because he was facing injury problems but because the league in general had gave up on him.

After just 8 years since he was drafted with so much hope and potential, Parker was out of the NBA.

Redemption in Europe

Jabari Parker had a redemption year with Barcelona BC for the 2023-2024 euroleague season

Parker, after he was unable to find a contract in the NBA he had to turn overseas in order to continue his career. 

And that's what he did. Parker signed a contract for the 2023-2024 with Spanish powerhouse, Barcelona BC. This move turned out to be beneficial for both sides.

Parker was one of the best players of the team, averaging 10.6 points and 4.6 rebounds with great shooting splits while playing 25 minutes per game in euroleague, while his team finished 3rd in the rankings. 

Do not let the stats fool you, a player who averages those kinds of stats in Europe, is considered a valuable piece in the rotation of a euroleague team.

Some players need time to adjust to the European style of play. Parker didn't need any. This shows how much team-oriented player he is. One is for sure, Parker will be a lot better the next year. Just wait and see!

How bad Parker was?

Jabari Parker on his last NBA stint with Boston Celtics

Parker wasn't bad, he never was a bust like Anthony Bennet was. When he actually got the chance to play he showed his crazy potential.  

The talent was always there and Parker after all he had been through, he never gave up. After the second ACL tear, he lost his confidence when he saw that Bucks had already moved on. 

That was the breaking point of his NBA career. Those two ACL tears made his team that drafted him, turn the back on him and after that, the whole league did too. That's too much for a young player to handle. 

Why Parker cried in the interview?

There many reasons why Parker cried in that recent interview when he was asked how his first year in Europe was. 

He was on top of the world but powers beyond his control altered his career. But Parker never gave up even after all those career-ending injuries, he still tried to become the player he was projected to be.

The league and teams gave up on him though. He was lost and unwanted but even when all hope was lost, he found success, he was valuable again.

Those tears were both pain and happiness. Parker gave all of us a valuable lesson. Even when all hope is lost keep up believing and trying, never give up on yourself. You 'll find the light in the darkness.

-The Sports Bust

James Bartzis