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Jabari Parker Determined to Revive Career in Boston

Jabari Parker is the ultimate example of an athlete not giving up on a dream. And right now, his dream is to revive what had once been a promising beginning to an NBA career in a fresh start with the Boston Celtics.

Seven years ago, Parker was one of the most highly-touted players of the 2014 NBA draft class and was selected No. 2 overall by the Milwaukee Bucks only three months after his 19th birthday. But 25 games into his rookie year, the explosive wing suffered a season-ending ACL tear, which turned out to be just the beginning of an injury-plagued start to his career.

After spending most of his sophomore campaign regaining comfort and trust in his left knee, Parker finally began to break out in his third season, averaging 20.1 points and 6.2 rebounds per game through his first 51 appearances. But on Jan. 15, 2017, he tore the same ACL for the second time in three years, and from that point on, he’s been on a roller-coaster journey to get his career back on track.

In the past three seasons, Parker has made stops in five new NBA cities, going from Milwaukee to Chicago, to Washington, to Atlanta, and to Sacramento, before arriving in Boston. Throughout it all, he has never given up hope, as he has constantly referenced the valuable basketball/life advice his father once gave him during his youth.

“I remember my dad, when I was six years old, pulled me to the side when he saw me giving up on a play and I was walking off, and he told me after that to never give up,” he said Monday morning, just three days after joining the Celtics. “So that pretty much stuck with me, and I’ll never give up and I’ll always give myself a shot.”

It turned out that the Celtics wanted to give him a shot as well.

Boston’s front office had been impressed with Parker’s potential for years, and it still has hope in his career panning out. Danny Ainge and Co. proved such faith Friday by signing the 26-year-old to a multi-year contract.

“This is a plan beyond this year and we’re going to be patient in bringing him along,” said head coach Brad Stevens. “We’re looking mostly at him as a guy that can play some 4 for us, but also maybe some small-ball 5 in some lineups, especially around some of our better players as a ball-mover, as a passer, as a playmaker, as a driver, as a guy that can put the ball in the basket and is a real threat to put the ball in the basket.

“Hopefully, this is a place where he can re-find his groove. I think that’s important and we’re going to work hard to help him.”

Parker views Boston as an ideal place to help him re-find his groove, as he explained ahead of Monday’s home game against the Bulls.

“I’ve been a fan of the Boston Celtics,” he said. “They just do things the right way, as far as the teamwork, the hard work, and preparation. And hopefully, I can be integrated and rub off on those guys as far as their work ethic and their habits.”

It didn’t take long for Parker to integrate himself into the rotation Saturday night, as he scored 11 points on 5-of-6 shooting to go along with four offensive rebounds in 15 minutes of action during a 119-115 win over the Golden State Warriors. Not bad for a guy who not only had just joined the team that morning, but also had just three NBA games under his belt all season during his previous stint with the Kings.

“He did very well,” Marcus Smart said of Parker’s performance. “We were definitely ecstatic with the way that he came out, not really knowing the system and just playing basketball and being a basketball player. Once he gets more involved in the plays and learns them, everything else will kind of mesh in well even more. But for his first time out there, he played very well and we’re proud of him.”

Parker hopes that Saturday night’s performance is the first step toward reviving his career in Boston.

“It's always good to be on the court and, most importantly, just blessed to have good health,” he said. “So hopefully I can use this as a good learning experience, and just keep on the good habits that I look forward to keeping.”

Not only could this opportunity with the Celtics be a good learning experience for Parker, but it could be a career-altering experience in a positive manner. Especially if he maintains that mindset to never give up on his dream.

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