Jabari Parker facts for kids
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Parker with FC Barcelona in 2025
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| No. 22 – Partizan Mozzart Bet | ||||||||||||||||||||
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| Power forward | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | March 15, 1995 Chicago, Illinois, U.S. |
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| High school | Simeon (Chicago, Illinois) | |||||||||||||||||||
| Listed height | 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) | |||||||||||||||||||
| Listed weight | 250 lb (113 kg) | |||||||||||||||||||
| Career information | ||||||||||||||||||||
| College | Duke (2013–2014) | |||||||||||||||||||
| NBA Draft | 2014 / Round: 1 / Pick: 2nd overall | |||||||||||||||||||
| Selected by the Milwaukee Bucks | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Pro career | 2014–present | |||||||||||||||||||
| League | Serbian League ABA League EuroLeague |
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| Career history | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 2014–2018 | Milwaukee Bucks | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2018–2019 | Chicago Bulls | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2019 | Washington Wizards | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2019–2020 | Atlanta Hawks | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2020–2021 | Sacramento Kings | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2021–2022 | Boston Celtics | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2023–2025 | FC Barcelona | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2025–present | Partizan | |||||||||||||||||||
| Career highlights and awards | ||||||||||||||||||||
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Medals
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Jabari Ali Parker (born March 15, 1995) is an American professional basketball player. He currently plays for Partizan Mozzart Bet in Serbia. He was chosen by the Milwaukee Bucks as the second overall pick in the 2014 NBA draft. This happened after he played one season for Duke University.
Parker was a fantastic high school athlete. He helped his team win four state championships in Illinois. He was also named the National High School Player of the Year by Gatorade and McDonald's. In his first year at Duke, he was named an All-American. He also won the USBWA National Freshman of the Year award.
Many people thought Parker would be a huge star in the NBA. However, he faced many injuries during his time in the league. These injuries made it hard for him to reach his full potential. After taking a year off from professional basketball, he joined FC Barcelona in 2023. He quickly became a key player there. His move to Europe helped restart his basketball career.
Contents
Early Life and Basketball Beginnings
Jabari Parker grew up in Chicago, Illinois. His father, Sonny, helped many children through his youth foundation. Jabari first learned basketball in one of his dad's leagues. He practiced his skills with his brother Christian at their church. This helped them avoid playing in dangerous city playgrounds.
By second grade, Jabari was already better than fifth graders. He played in middle school leagues when he was only in fifth grade. When he was in sixth grade, he was 6 feet 2 inches tall. He even scrimmaged with future NBA star Derrick Rose.
Jabari chose to attend Simeon Career Academy for high school. Many great players like Derrick Rose went there before him. Jabari wanted to win as many championships as possible. He said he picked Simeon because he knew winning four state titles was possible there.
High School Basketball Journey
Freshman Year Success
Jabari was the first freshman ever to start on the Simeon varsity team. He scored about 19 points per game. He also grabbed 5 rebounds and had 3 assists per game. His team won the state championship with a 25–9 record. By the end of the season, many colleges wanted him to play for them. He was named the ESPN HS Freshman of the Year.
Sophomore Year Achievements
In his second year, Jabari helped his team stay ranked among the top five nationally. He averaged 15.3 points and 5.9 rebounds per game. His team won another state championship, finishing with a 30–2 record. He received many awards, including Sophomore of the Year from ESPN HS.
Junior Year Highlights
Jabari continued to shine in his junior year. He set a new school record by scoring 40 points in one game. He also had 16 rebounds and 6 blocks in that game. His team won the Public League championship. They then won their third straight state championship. Simeon finished the season with an amazing 33–1 record.
After this season, Sports Illustrated featured him on their cover. The story talked about his basketball skills and his strong faith. Jabari won many awards, including the Gatorade National Player of the Year. He was only the fourth junior ever to win this award.
Senior Year and National Recognition
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Before his senior year, Jabari was considered the top player in the country. On December 20, 2012, he announced he would play college basketball for Duke University.
Jabari led Simeon to its fourth state championship in a row. This matched a state record. He became only the second player in state history to start for four straight championship teams. Simeon finished with a 30–3 record.
He received many more awards in his senior year. He was named the Morgan Wootten Male Player of the Year. This award recognizes players who show great character and leadership. He also won the Gatorade Illinois Player of the Year again. Jabari was a first-team All-USA selection by USA Today. He was also a Parade All-American.
College Career at Duke
Before starting at Duke, experts predicted Jabari would be a starter. He was given the number 1 jersey, a number only worn by Kyrie Irving before him at Duke. He was named the preseason ACC Rookie of the Year.
Jabari played his first game for Duke on November 8, 2013. He scored 22 points and grabbed 6 rebounds. He was the fifth freshman in Duke history to score 20 points in his first game. He earned his first ACC Rookie of the Week award. In a big game against Andrew Wiggins and the Kansas Jayhawks, Parker scored 27 points and had 9 rebounds.
He continued to play well throughout the season. He scored 20 points or more in 18 games. This was close to the ACC freshman record. Duke's season ended in the first round of the NCAA tournament. Parker set a Duke record for freshman scoring average with 19.1 points per game. He was also the first freshman to lead the team in both scoring and rebounding.
For his great first year, Parker received many honors. He was named to the All-ACC first team. He was also voted the ACC Freshman of the Year. He was selected as a first-team All-American by many different groups. He also won the USBWA National Freshman of the Year award.
Professional Basketball Journey
Milwaukee Bucks (2014–2018)
On April 17, 2014, Jabari Parker announced he would enter the 2014 NBA draft. On June 26, the Milwaukee Bucks selected him as the second overall pick.
Parker made his NBA debut on October 29, 2014. He scored 8 points and had 4 rebounds. He was named the Eastern Conference Rookie of the Month for October/November. However, on December 15, he suffered a serious injury. He tore a ligament in his left knee, which ended his season.
He returned to play in November 2015. He slowly got back into rhythm. On December 12, he scored 19 points against the Golden State Warriors. This helped the Bucks end their 24-game winning streak. On February 29, 2016, Parker scored a new career high of 36 points.
In January 2017, Parker was playing very well. He was averaging over 20 points per game. But on February 9, he tore the same ligament in his left knee again. This injury ended his season and kept him out for about a year.
He returned to the court on February 2, 2018. He scored 12 points in his first game back. On April 1, he had a season-high 35 points and 10 rebounds.
Moving Between NBA Teams (2018–2022)
On July 14, 2018, Parker signed with the Chicago Bulls. He scored 15 points in his first game with them. He later had 20 points and 13 rebounds in a game. However, his playing time decreased later in the season.
On February 6, 2019, Parker was traded to the Washington Wizards. He had career highs in rebounds with the Wizards, grabbing 14 and then 15 in different games. After the season, the Wizards decided not to keep him.
On July 11, 2019, Parker signed with the Atlanta Hawks. He scored a season-high 33 points and had 14 rebounds on November 27. In February 2020, he was traded to the Sacramento Kings. He was later waived by the Kings in March 2021.
On April 16, 2021, Parker signed with the Boston Celtics. He scored 11 points in his first game for them. He played in some playoff games for the Celtics. He was waived by the Celtics in October 2021 and again in January 2022.
FC Barcelona (2023–2025)
After a year away from professional basketball, Parker joined FC Barcelona in Spain on August 7, 2023. He quickly became an important player for the team. He averaged 10.3 points per game in the EuroLeague. In the Spanish league, he averaged 11.5 points. He helped Barcelona reach the semi-finals of the playoffs. In a key playoff game, he scored a season-high 27 points. In April 2024, he signed a contract to stay with Barcelona until 2026.
In his second season, Parker had his best game for Barcelona on March 16, 2025. He scored 34 points, including 6 three-pointers. This was the highest score for a Barcelona player in the Spanish league in 11 years. He was also named to the All-Liga ACB Second Team for the 2024-25 season. On June 23, 2025, Parker and Barcelona agreed to end his contract early.
National Team Experience
Jabari Parker has also played for the United States national basketball team. In 2011, he was the MVP of the FIBA Americas U16 Championship. Team USA won a gold medal at this event. He set a record for most points scored in a single game for the USA U16 team. In December 2011, he was named USA Basketball's Male Athlete of the Year. He was the youngest person ever to win this award.
He also played for the USA team in the 2012 FIBA Under-17 World Championship in Lithuania. The team won the gold medal there too.
Player Style and Comparisons
In high school, Jabari Parker was often compared to NBA star Derrick Rose. People also compared his playing style to Grant Hill and Paul Pierce. Parker said he tries to play like Paul Pierce and Carmelo Anthony. He wanted to be known as one of the best high school basketball players from Chicago.
Some people compared him to LeBron James when he was in high school. However, others thought he was more like Greg Oden. Parker himself said he was driven by being compared to Derrick Rose. He hoped to break Rose's records and become one of Chicago's best players ever.
Personal Life
Jabari Parker's background is both Tongan and African American. His mother, Lola, is from Tonga and is a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. His father, Sonny, played in the NBA for six seasons. His parents met when his father was playing for the Golden State Warriors.
Jabari has six brothers and sisters. His older brothers, Darryl and Christian, also played college basketball.
Jabari is an active member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. In high school, he attended religious classes several mornings a week. He also volunteered in his community. He was known for carrying a backpack with his basketball gear, an iPod, and a copy of the Book of Mormon.
Images for kids
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Parker in January 2011
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Defending Jahlil Okafor in the IHSA playoffs
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Shooting over a defender
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Boxing out a defender in the IHSA championship
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Approaching the rim during for a tip-in, 2013 McDonald's AABG
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Blocking a jump shot by Andrew Wiggins, 2013 McDonald's AABG
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Parker announcing his verbal commitment to play at Duke
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Parker with the 2013–14 Duke Blue Devils
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Parker about to score against the Washington Wizards in 2014
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Parker in November 2014
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Parents Sonny and Lola listen as Jabari makes his verbal commitment to Duke basketball on December 20, 2012.
See also
In Spanish: Jabari Parker para niños
