This is one of the surprise signings of the offseason: the arrival of Jabari Parker at FC Barcelona. We didn’t know if the former Bucks player was still able to play at the highest level, and he managed to convince a big Euroleague team to hire him. For people like him, the NBA is no longer El Dorado and he is not surprised to see that others have imitated him, like Kemba Walker, the Hernangomez brothers, Frank Kaminsky or Serge Ibaka.
“I just want to be part of something legitimate. I want to be part of a championship where every match counts” replies Jabari Parker at Eurohoops. “Unfortunately, the NBA is a business and there are 10-12 teams trying to win every game and the other half trying to get a draft pick. »
“The NBA is going downhill”
This two-speed NBA, with the best teams who are not interested in profiles (with defensive shortcomings) like his, and the bad ones who bet everything on the potential of young players, leaves many players of his generation behind. tile, and he regrets it. Especially since he’s only 28 years old…
“What about the good players? You either have to be super good or super bad to lose matches. There is no excuse to see DeMarcus Cousins, Dwight Howard or John Wall, guys who are potentially going to enter the Hall Of Fame, without a contract… Unfortunately, the NBA is going downhill. There are many things beyond our control. The Euroleague and the fans expect a lot, and we as players expect a lot from ourselves and we want to be competitive. »
Tired of waiting for a phone call that didn’t come from the NBA, since his last match there dates back to January 2022, that’s why he didn’t hesitate to try his first experience on the Old Continent.
“I knew I wanted to play this season and I didn’t want to wait. I didn’t want to have to go through that grueling process of finding an NBA team that was willing to give me a chance.” he concludes. “As soon as we had the conversations with Mario Bruno Fernandez (the sporting director), I arrived here and they made me an offer that I couldn’t refuse. I decided this was the best place for me. »
