After moving to Europe, a former draft flop takes aim at the NBA.
Although there has been no NBA action on the court in several months, the league continues to take shots from those outside it. The most recent critique comes from Jabari Parker, the former No. 2 overall choice.
The former Milwaukee Bucks player has relocated to Europe to join Spanish powerhouse FC Barcelona. Parker got down for a chat with Eurohoops’ Alex Molina after two games with his new team.
Parker was asked about the growing number of former NBA players signing with European clubs by Molina. The 28-year-old described the NBA as “watered down,” with the majority of teams tanking rather than trying to win games.
“I just want to be a part of something legitimate,” stated Parker. “I want to be a part of the ‘every game matters’ movement.” Unfortunately, the NBA is a business, with 10-12 teams attempting to win every game and the other half attempting to obtain a draft pick.
“How does that affect good players?” To lose games, you have to be either really good or extremely awful. Unfortunately, the league is becoming watered down,” Parker remarked.
Parker mentioned guys like DeMarcus Cousins, John Wall, and Dwight Howard who are having difficulty finding new opportunities in the NBA. Howard recently stirred rumors of a comeback after working out with a West contender, but the encounter did not result in a contract offer.
Willie Cauley-Stein, another former NBA lottery pick, recently slammed the league after moving to Europe for slightly different reasons.
Parker’s last professional season was with the Boston Celtics in 2021-22. He appeared in 12 games and averaged 4.4 points and 2.3 rebounds per game. Parker was scheduled to play for the Bucks in the 2023 NBA Summer League before withdrawing due to personal reasons.
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