Jabari Parker Jumps To NBA

By Benjy Lipsman in News on Apr 17, 2014 7:00PM

Former Chicago prep basketball phenom Jabari Parker has decided to make the jump to the NBA after one year at Duke University. Parker was the consensus top prep player in the nation during his senior year at Simeon and was highly recruited before choosing to attend Duke.

The 6-foot-8-inch forward scored 19.1 points and grabbed 8.7 rebounds a game at Duke and is among the top prospects for the upcoming NBA Draft. Most draft boards have him ranked second, behind only Kansas' freshman guard Andrew Wiggins.

In a Sports Illustrated column, Parker explained how he came to his decision to declare for the draft and leave Duke.

Ultimately, I boiled my decision down to two simple questions:

Which environment—college or the NBA—offers me the best opportunity to grow as a basketball player?

Which environment—college or the NBA—offers me the best opportunity to grow and develop off the court?

The answer to both questions is undeniably the NBA.

Parker cited the short career span for pro athletes and clarified that while he was leaving Duke's basketball program to go pro, he intends to remain a student and complete his degree. Parker also mentioned that he chose to forgo doing a mission in spite of his strong Mormon faith.

In declaring for the draft, Parker will also miss out on the chance to play with friend Jahlil Okafor, the Whitney Young standout who was the nation's top high school hoopster this year. Like Parker, Okafor committed to Duke, leaving Chicago for the chance to play under legendary coach Mike Krzyzewski.

Almost certain to be a high lottery pick, Parker will likely end up in Milwaukee, Philadelphia or Orlando next year. The draft lottery will determine the final draft order, and it's only on June 26 that Parker will learn his fate. Unlike former Chicago standout one-and-done Derrick Rose, Parker doesn't appear likely to land back in his hometown when he joins the NBA.