Former Kings F Jabari Parker Describes the NBA as 'Watered Down'

Many former NBA players make the move to overseas leagues for a multitude of reasons. While some age out of the NBA, many feel that overseas is simply the better option for their careers.

Former Milwaukee Bucks' 2014 2nd overall selection F Jabari Parker recently made the move to join FC Barcelona in the EuroLeague. The 28-year-old forward explained his thought process for the European venture in an interview with EuroHoops:

"I knew I wanted to play this season and I didn’t want to wait. I didn’t want to have to go through the extenuating process of trying to figure out an NBA team that was going to take a chance on me. As soon as we had the conversations with Mario Bruno Fernández I got down here, they pretty much gave me an offer that I couldn’t refuse. I decided this was the best place for me."

Parker, an 8-year NBA veteran, played for six franchises, including a brief stop with the Sacramento Kings. Parker has a harsh injury history, with multiple surgeries holding him back from finding a consistent home in the league.

After not appearing in an NBA game since January 2022, Parker claims the NBA is "watered down" and is becoming more of a business:

"I just want to be a part of something legitimate. I want to be a part of ‘every game matters’. Sadly, the NBA is a business and there are 10-12 teams that try to win every game and the other half try to get a Draft pick. Where does that leave good players? You either have to be super good or bad, to lose games. It’s no excuse to see DeMarcus Cousins, Dwight Howard, or John Wall, guys who are potentially going into the Hall of Fame… seeing those guys not have a job? We are seeing the league getting watered down, unfortunately. It’s a lot of things that are out of our control."

The NBA is certainly a business, and Parker makes a valid point about half the league trying to win and the other half trying to get a good draft pick.

He mentions former Kings' top-five draft pick Cousins, who is now out of the league despite being one of their premier centers in the NBA just five years ago. The NBA is becoming more business-oriented, resulting in some elite talent facing harsh consequences.

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