Raised in a deeply religious family, Jabari Parker (Chicago, 1995) defines himself as a “spiritual” man. A college prodigy and number two in the 2014 NBA draft, two serious injuries to the same knee almost ended his career. But with faith and resilience, and the same calm that he transmits on a basketball court, he has returned to the elite with Barça. Before traveling to Malaga to compete in his first Cup, he sat down with La Vanguardia to review his career and his life.
The Cup is very special...
I have never played one but from what I have been told we will experience a very special atmosphere, with many fans traveling. From my experience perhaps it looks like a university final.
It shows that they have explained to him what the Cup means.
Teammates, coaches... everyone talks about her.
In each game he seems more comfortable, more settled.
Yes that's how it is.
How has the adaptation process been?
When you want to be in a place naturally things always improve over time. It's going well, I'm not afraid of anything.
Are there so many differences between the NBA and Europe?
Yes, it is quite different, although at the end of the day it is still basketball. It's not that complicated, you have to put the ball in the basket. Nothing else matters, it's the only thing that counts. Obviously there may be different tactics but in the end it ends in the same thing: scoring.
Is there anything that particularly caught your attention upon your arrival to European basketball?
The atmosphere was what shocked me the most. They had explained things to me but when you live it it is always special.
And, off the track, are there also so many differences?
Yes, the main one is that in Europe we don't have security and fans can approach you. I don't mean it as a bad thing, but we have created an environment in which we have separated ourselves from people and I like that it is different here.
From a very young age he already played with much older rivals...
I was very tall and had a gift, so I needed challenges and they made me play with kids three or four years older than me.
At what point in your life did you realize you had a gift for basketball?
I have always had self-confidence but I didn't really realize it until my university days. It was then that I made the decision to become a professional player, when I thought that basketball could become my job.
How do you remember that moment?
Everything is easier when you do something you've always wanted to do. Plus, it doesn't cause me any stress. There are people who get up at six in the morning to load boxes or drive trucks, those are the ones who have to grit their teeth and worry about making ends meet. I am privileged and it is not something I look down on, so I feel blessed.
When you were young you used to watch old videos to learn, do you still do that?
Yes, I love the basketball that I watched in my youth.
What is your favorite decade?
I definitely love the 80s. They played at a very high pace, there were big stars but there was still a lot of team play. Many points were also scored.
You say you are a “man of faith”, when did that faith begin?
My mother raised me in a very religious way. I grew up Mormon and just having those fundamentals, those values, she gave me something to believe in and also a lot of humility. Later, I turned my faith into my own relationship with God, which is why I think today I am more spiritual than religious.
What is the difference?
For me, religion means that in order to feel at peace or feel complete, there is a person like a priest who helps you have that clarity. Instead, spirituality is your own connection with God. It can be anything: how you feel, meditation, yoga... I have my own relationship with God and I don't require a third person, I am comfortable that way.
Even in the moments of greatest pressure you seem to transmit a lot of calm, don't you feel the pressure?
Maybe from the outside it seems that way. The truth is that I always try to be calm and collected and I succeed on many occasions, but I am human and I have emotions.
You broke the same knee twice, did that spirituality you were talking about help you get out of the hole?
Yes, because when you go through something like that you question yourself but I chose not to be negative. It became a challenge and I faced it as you should with all the challenges that arise in your life. I achieved something very difficult, which is not available to many people, so I feel very grateful.
Since when have you been vegan?
I stopped eating meat 4 years ago and I have been vegan for two years.
Has it helped you?
My nutrition was not good because I did not have the knowledge but the universe granted it to me and I found peace being vegan. It has honestly saved my career from injuries.
Does it give you that much significance?
Being vegan helped me heal. Food and nutrition can be healing.
Have you noticed many changes in these four years?
I have changed physically and also on a mental and spiritual level thanks to the change in my diet.
Do you already know many corners of Barcelona?
I have been to all the beaches. In Sitges, in Badalona... Now I want to visit the Tibidabo church and the Montserrat Sanctuary that the monks built.
Which is your favorite place?
Without a doubt, Sitges. I go whenever I can. It is very calm and the food is very good.
Do they stop you a lot on the street?
Yes, more and more, but they are not fans asking me for photos. We have conversations that I enjoy. It's one of the things I love about Barcelona, the people are very respectful and polite.
Is it very different from the United States?
If you play in places like Boston, New York or Philly you see that they are different hobbies. They are places where they insult you, as I think happens in Greece or Serbia. On the other hand, in Spain people are much friendlier.
He doesn't have any tattoos...
No, and I have no plans to get one at the moment. But not because I don't like them, I love them and my whole family has them, but I still haven't found any connection to put in my body. Maybe if something bad happens, like losing a family member, I'll think about it again.
