Former NBA Draft no. 2 pick Jabari Parker signs with FC Barcelona

By Leobert Julian A. de la Peña

Jabari Parker has found his new home.

The former No. 2 pick during the 2014 NBA Rookie Draft became the latest reinforcement to FC Barcelona’s stacked roster confirmed last August 8, 2023.

FC Barcelona already welcomed the savvy small forward via an official graphic poster posted on their different social media platforms.

After passing all the necessary documents to complete his transition from the NBA to Europe, Parker is now eligible to play for the prestigious ball club currently competing in the Liga ACB and the EuroLeague.

In a recent post by FC Barcelona, Parker already completed his medical requirements and is good to go for the upcoming season.

Before making the acquisition official, FC Barcelona announced: “the player Jabari Parker has reached an agreement for the incorporation of the North American for one season, pending the medical review”.

Parker became one of the biggest what-ifs in NBA history but his uprising career in the big league got derailed when he tore his anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) twice.

The superstar out of Duke University only played one season in the NCAA before declaring for the 2014 NBA Draft where he was a top-five prospect together with Andrew Wiggins of the Golden State Warriors.

Parker was selected by the Milwaukee Bucks in hopes of turning their franchise around before Giannis Antetokounmpo’s rise to stardom.

The projected NBA-ready do-it-all small forward was doing great until he tore his ACL in the 25^th game of his rookie season.

With only ¼ of the playing season, Parker already averaged 12.3 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 1.7 assists before sitting the whole year out to undergo surgery and rehabilitation.

Parker came back and kicked off his redemption year the following season but unfortunately, he tore his ACL again and was never the same when he also faced weight issues.

He then jumped from one NBA franchise to another and had stints with the Chicago Bulls, Washington Wizards, Atlanta Hawks, Sacramento Kings, and Boston Celtics.