The year that the Milwaukee Bucks drafted Giannis Antetokounmpo, they went 15-67 and drew the second overall pick in the NBA Draft Lottery. After Andrew Wiggins was taken first overall by the Cleveland Cavaliers, Milwaukee had tough decision to make. The next two consensus top players were Joel Embiid and Jabari Parker. Of course, the Bucks selected Parker.
While the previous season had been frustrating for many reasons, the idea that Parker and Giannis would be able to grow and mature together gave Bucks fans a great deal of hope. Within a year or two, the duo would be among the best in the NBA.
Milwaukee started the season with both Parker and Giannis in their starting lineup. While they were young and needed to grow their games, they were exciting to watch. That is, until disaster struck.
Former Milwaukee Bucks Forward Jabari Parker Battled Injuries
Parker was off to a good start his rookie season, averaging 12.3 points and 5.5 rebounds per game through 25 games. But then he tore his ACL and was out for the season.
A terrible, dreadful setback for the young Bucks, but one that they would surely be able to come back from once Parker returned. The following season, he played 76 games and averaged 14.1 points and 5.2 rebounds, and it seemed like his young career was back on track.
This was especially true in 2016-17, when he averaged 20.1 points and 6.2 rebounds per game. It looked like Parker had finally established himself as one of the NBA’s best young players.
But then disaster struck again. He tore his ACL yet again and missed the rest of the season. He was never the same player after that.
Parker left Milwaukee following another short season in 2017-18 and bounced around the NBA for a few seasons, playing for the Chicago Bulls, Washington Wizards, Atlanta Hawks, Sacramento Kings, and Boston Celtics. Everywhere he went, though, injuries and questions about his willingness to play defense followed.
Former Milwaukee Bucks Forward Jabari Parker Played Overseas This Past Season
Parker last played in the NBA for the Celtics during the 2021-22 season. That year, he appeared in just 12 games and averaged 4.4 points and 2.3 rebounds.
Last offseason, it was initially reported that Parker had been signed to Milwaukee’s Summer League roster. However, he had to withdraw due to an undisclosed family matter.
Unable to make a NBA roster this past year, Parker played for FC Barcelona of the Spanish Liga ACB and Euro League. Each league had a 33-game season, and Parker played all 66 games. He averaged 10.9 points and 3.5 points while shooting 38.7% from three.
After his team’s final game, Parker was asked about completing his first season in Europe, but the forward was too emotional to answer:
Jabari Parker gets emotional when asked about his first year overseas 💔
(via @JijantesFC)pic.twitter.com/iwCOCH7Nz3
— Legion Hoops (@LegionHoops) June 3, 2024
The video garnered a great deal of sympathy for Parker, who has gone down as one of the “what ifs” of his generation. What if he had not gotten hurt the first time? What if he had not gotten hurt the second time?
Hopefully he can still have a long career (he is still only 28 years old) playing basketball.
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