The No. 2 pick in the 2014 NBA Draft has embarked upon a new journey in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague.
Jabari Parker, FC Barcelona: ‘I just want to play basketball’
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For Jabari Parker, signing for FC Barcelona and playing in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague was a chance to start afresh. Still just 28, the American forward has left behind a turbulent few years in the NBA and now hopes to be the missing piece for a Barca team looking to lift its first EuroLeague crown since 2010.
Parker, the No. 2 overall pick in the 2014 NBA Draft, showed glimpses of what he can offer head coach Roger Grimau on his EuroLeague debut, posting 10 points (all in the fourth quarter), 3 rebounds, 1 steal and 1 block in just under 18 minutes on the floor as Barca defeated Anadolu Efes Istanbul 91-74 in Round 1 of the 2023-24 season.
Jabari Parker in the EuroLeague
Speaking exclusively with Euroleague.net, Parker touched on how he has dealt with setbacks, coming to the EuroLeague and, above all, his love of basketball. But, as he made clear, he is taking everything one step at a time.
“I just want to be the best that I can [be] every day,” says Parker. “I don’t take days off and I don’t look too far ahead, so [I’m] just trying to be the best that I can be.
“I think that whatever experience that I have, I try to stay in the moment. And no tag defines me. I’ll play in Alaska if I have to, I’ll play in Antarctica. I just want to play basketball, I want to enjoy myself and enjoy my life.
“It doesn’t matter where I go, where I play, because I am who I am and nothing helps define me.”
Dealing with pressure and setbacks
From an early age, Parker has played with the spotlight on him. Having starred at Simeon Career Academy, the same high school where fellow Chicago native Derrick Rose first made his name, he then went to Duke University – one of the most famous college basketball programs in the United States – and established himself there. Yet, he didn’t feel any pressure.
“Honestly, it was no pressure because basketball is something I love to do,” Parker notes. “I didn’t ever put expectations on myself, and I definitely don’t live by other people’s perception [of me]. The thing is that I submit to God; God is the person I submit to and I know that I’m making him proud.”
Later, following the Milwaukee Bucks’s decision to take Parker with the second overall pick in the 2014 NBA Draft, more pressure was placed on his shoulders. Parker initially made a good start to life in the NBA, averaging 12.3 points and 5.5 rebounds through his first 25 games, but then came a serious ACL injury in his left knee.
Two seasons later, having worked his way back to average a career-high 20.1 points, 6.2 rebounds and 2.8 assists across 51 games in the 2016-17 campaign, another setback arrived as he suffered another ACL injury in the same knee. Parker, however, refused to let those injuries change his mindset.
“[It was] not devastating at all. Life is all about adversity, it’s all about different things and there’s no expectation of what… there’s no perfect route for anybody. So, that’s what it was and I bounced back every time.”
A ‘new chapter’ in his career
Many American players over the years have been afraid to make the jump to the EuroLeague from the NBA, but not Parker. He spent eight years in the NBA before opting to join Barca, following a one-year hiatus, and his early performances have created excitement among the Blaugrana’s supporters.
“I love Barcelona, Barcelona’s beautiful,” Parker adds. “The people are very patient here, very nice, especially with people like myself that don’t speak Catalan or Spanish real frequently, so it’s been nice.
“It is a new chapter in my career. It’s something different, something I wanted to do, something that’s new. I’m looking forward to it and I’m excited.”
Only time will tell if Parker ends up leading Barca to EuroLeague glory, but coming up big in the fourth quarter against Efes was a good way to start. Next up, the American will experience one of Europe’s best atmospheres as Barca travels to Peace and Friendship Stadium to take on Olympiacos Piraeus. It will be a big test, but another strong performance by Parker would see him quickly become a fans’ favorite at Palau Blaugrana.