Jabari Parker has explained why he broke down in tears during a locker room interview after finishing his first season of basketball in Europe.
The emotional interview came almost exactly a decade after the former Duke superstar was selected second overall by the Bucks in the 2014 NBA Draft.
During an on-camera interview, the reporter asked Parker to reflect on his first year playing in Spain, following a series of knee injuries that derailed the career he was slated to have in America.
The 29-year-old struggled to get any words out as he began tearing up, and put his head in his hands as he quietly sobbed.
Explaining why he got so upset, Parker has now admitted ‘it was all happiness’ and ‘tears of gratitude’.
‘So, in response to the video of me being emotional. Basically it was all happiness,’ Parker said.
‘It was gratitude for this organization giving me an opportunity, for my teammates for making me happy about this experience.
‘I have nothing but great things to say about the Barcelona experience that I’ve had, especially being on the team of FC Barcelona. It’s been nothing but a dream of mine and because of this place I’ve found my love for the game again.
‘I wasn’t sure I’d be able to play again but because of FC Barcelona, the fans, my teammates, my coaches, my friends here I’ve found that love again and that passion.’
NBA fans were quick to sympathize with the star forward amid his emotional response to the season-ending defeat.
‘He was dubbed the next LeBron in high school. To be overseas at age 29 due to injuries destroying his potential. It’s gotta be tough emotionally,’ one person commented on the social media clip.
‘Number 2 overall pick in 2014 to playing overseas. Man that’s got to be tough,’ another wrote.
A third echoed the sentiment, ‘Damn, this actually hurts to see. Whatever’s going on in his head I hope he finds a place where he’s happy at the least. He was supposed to be so great man, and might’ve been if not for bad luck.’
The Duke alum was drafted by Milwaukee and quickly gained a reputation as a player with the potential to become a generational offensive talent.
He averaged 20.1 points per game in the 2016-17 season, however his career came to a halt amid a series of debilitating knee injuries.
He bounced around the league, playing for the Chicago Bulls, Washington Wizards, Atlanta Hawks, Sacramento Kings, and Boston Celtics before moving to Spain to play for Barcelona in the EuroLeague last year.
He agreed to a two-year contract extension in April.
‘I am very grateful,’ he told reporters at the time.
‘From the first moment I came to Barcelona, I had good feelings, good games, and good experiences. I just want to keep these good times with more years here in Barcelona,’ he went on.
‘It was very easy to make this decision. I would make this decision 10 times over if I had the chance. I think it’s the best decision.’