
9. Jabari Parker
Jabari Parker, the son of former NBA star Sonny Parker, enabled residents of the city of Chicago to indulge in a bit of a guilty pleasure at the outset of his career, giving them reason to cheer from afar for their hometown star all while he played for a rival organization’s squad.
It all began in October of 2014 when he made his NBA debut with the Milwaukee Bucks. Parker, like many highly scouted young stars, came into the league with a lot to prove after getting drafted with the No. 2 overall pick of the 2014 NBA Draft.
Has Parker lived up to all the early hype after five years?
I think not.
No one questions Parker’s ability to score the ball. It remains up in the air if he can stay healthy, especially after the way his rocky tenure with the Bucks ended.
Parker has seemingly drifted from one team to the next since leaving the Bucks during free agency in the summer of 2018. His NBA journey so far includes briefs stints with the Chicago Bulls, Washington Wizards, Atlanta Hawks and the Sacramento Kings.
Parker has posted career averages of 15 points, 5.8 rebounds and 2.1 assists per game. Before the NBA’s hiatus started last month, he was averaging 14.7 points, 5.9 rebounds 1.8 assists per game.
It remains unclear if Parker is part of the Kings’ long-term plans after getting picked up by the team ahead of this year’s trade deadline.
Parker was born in Chicago. He attended high school at Simeon Career Academy High School in Chicago and went to college at Duke University in Durham, North Carolina.
It remains to be seen if Parker makes for a viable candidate to be inducted as a player into the Hall of Fame.