Former Milwaukee Bucks lottery pick Jabari Parker may not have lived up to his potential, but he still influenced modern NBA stars. Boston Celtics star Jayson Tatum singled out Parker during his postgame press conference on January 15.
“He was the reason I went to Duke. I wanted to be like him. So I’ve got a lot of love for him and happy he’s playing well,” Tatum told reporters, per Taylor Snow’s X account
Tatum and Parker played together on the Celtics from 2021 to 2022. Tatum revealed that he’s still keeping tabs on Parker’s professional basketball career overseas.
“I did see he had a buzzer beater the other day,” Tatum said. “I haven’t talked to Jabari in a minute, but somebody that I got a lot of respect for. Happy that he’s playing at a high level. Obviously, I got to play with him (in) two different stints with the Celtics.”
Parker was projected to have a superstar-like career when the Bucks drafted him in 2014. Tearing his ACL early on in 2014 derailed his rookie season. Parker looked like he was reaching his potential in his third season before tearing the same ACL again. Parker then suffered various injuries after that, prematurely ending his NBA career in 2022
Jabari Parker Explains Why He Loves EuroLeague
Jabari Parker currently plays for FC Barcelona. Despite not playing in the NBA anymore, Parker talked about how much he enjoyed playing in the EuroLeague.
“Basketball is bigger than the NBA. Basketball is global,” Parker told Geoff Gillingham of the league’s website in a November 30, 2023 story. “Ever since I was young when I was watching the Olympics and seeing other teams like Spain and Argentina, I knew that no matter what part or stage of my career, I wanted to play at the best level, no matter where I was.”
Parker took a cryptic shot at the NBA while explaining why he loves playing overseas.
“I love the EuroLeague,” Parker said. “It’s very competitive, it’s guys who play basketball the right way, and the environment [atmosphere], most importantly, stands out.
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