SUMMARY
- Jabari Parker recently broke down mid interview after being asked to address being away from home soil.
- The 29-year-old hasn't played in the NBA since 2022, and he currently plays for Barcelona FC in the EuroLeague.
Jabari Parker was one of the biggest prospects during the 2014 NBA Draft and he was viewed as “the guy” to blow up in the league. While he competed at the collegiate level, Parker was an absolute force to be reckoned with. He earned multiple accolades such as the ACC Rookie of the Year Award, a First-Team All-ACC selection in 2014, and USA Basketball Males Athlete of the Year in 2011 after helping the U-17 and U-16 national teams win gold medals in the FIBA World and Americas Championships.
But not every great prospect ends up having the best career in the NBA. In Parker’s case, injuries became a major reason why he couldn’t perform at the highest level. He played eight seasons in the league before moving overseas in 2023 to play for FC Barcelona in the Liga ABC and EuroLeague.
Fans react to Jabari Parker’s viral video
Recently, Jabari Parker was interviewed by JijantesFC and his reaction to playing overseas for the first time went viral. The reporter asked the 29-year-old to share his thoughts on being away from America and the NBA after which Parker simply broke down in tears. There wasn’t any exchange of words and Parker couldn’t hold himself together, after which the report stopped the interview.
Absolutely heartbreaking. I hope he gets an opportunity to come back to the NBA
— Milly🎲 (@Hoodie_Milly) June 3, 2024
Bruh watching this I got a meltdown too
— ACE GABBANA 🐐 (@AceGabbana13) June 3, 2024
Fans reacted to this viral video saying, “Absolutely heartbreaking. I hope he gets an opportunity to come back to the NBA.” Another fan added, “Bruh watching this I got a meltdown too.” Some fans even encouraged Parker to keep working hard and maybe the NBA would give him another opportunity to come back and prove his worth.
Jabari Parker and Giannis Antetokounmpo were projected to be a dominant duo
The Milwaukee Bucks had selected Jabari Parker as the No.2 overall pick in the 2014 NBA Draft. Giannis Antetokounmpo came into the league a year prior and they were ideally supposed to become a top-tier duo eventually. But injuries severely crippled Parker’s ability to play consistently. His best seasons came between 2015 and 2017 when Parker played 76 games as a sophomore player and 51 games in his third season. During his third season, Parker averaged 20.1 points, 6.2 rebounds, and 2.8 assists along with one steal per game.
However, that was the last time the NBA saw Parker excel. The ex-NBA player would go through an array of injuries including an ACL tear in 2017. He eventually got picked up by the Chicago Bulls, Washington Wizards, Sacramento Kings, and Boston Celtics. However, these teams never found much value in him which caused him to get waived multiple times. But since joining Barcelona FC, he’s been averaging 10.6 points and 4.2 rebounds as an occasional starter. Maybe one day Parker will get back into the league and complete his career on American soil.