Jabari Parker is finally hooping and happy again, as he recently signed a new contract across the Atlantic Ocean in Barcelona. The 28-year-old wasn’t receiving the offers he was expecting in the NBA and decided to produce one off the most exciting moves of the summer, landing in one of the greatest teams in European basketball.

The power forward, who was once the second pick of the 2014 Draft, talked about the reasons behind his decision, his recent adaptation in Spain, and also criticized the NBA as he explained himself.

“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,” he said in a recent interview, which has already created a lot of debate in social media.

“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,” Jabari expressed. “It’s a lot of things that are out of our control. Euroleague and the fans are expecting a lot, and we as players expect a lot from ourselves and we want to compete.”

About his general state of mind, the player says he’s positive and hopes to provide all his experience into his new Spanish club. “I feel good, personally, about coming into the year with this much depth and experience. So far it’s been alright, I think it’s going to be good,” he said.

About the differences between the NBA and European basketball, he preferred not to talk too much about it since he just arrived in Spain a month ago.

“I don’t have so much of an opinion because I am inexperienced, but I think later I will figure it out,” Parker admitted. “So far it’s pretty much similar to how we played in high school or college, where you could stay in the paint since there is no defensive three. So far it’s nice.”

Parker also weighed in on the controversial debate around the ‘world champion’ comments sparked by olympic sprinter Noah Lyles

Ever since U.S. sprinter Noah Lyles made fun of NBA players who celebrate as world champions for winning the domestic competition, almost every basketball player has been asked to give their take on the matter. Parker, in this case, tries to be as realistic as possible.

“Well, you see it now, right? Everybody can lose,” he started out. “The game has grown since the ’60s and ’70s, when it was predominantly American. Now basketball has been global, to be the world champion you have to play against the best in the world. And especially Euroleague might have, arguably, some of the better players consistently on a team.”

Live from the City of Counts, Jabari Parker checking in for his time with Barcelona while rocking the Kobe 11. pic.twitter.com/R1Qjv89JrQ

— SLAM Kicks (@SLAMKicks) September 25, 2023

The 28-year-old then digged deeper into his criticism of the NBA, explaining how some players aren’t necessarily signed by teams because of their talent, and that has a negative effect on the sport.

“In the NBA you have a lot of counterparts that don’t really contribute to a talent, maybe political, maybe a favor, whatever. Out here you have to play, you have to be able to be good, you have to have some experience and you see it with teams like us: Abrines played with OKC, Jan played in the Wizards, Sato… This is not like baseball where you have veterans that stay on a team, there is no minor league, where is the room for experienced guys and veterans?” he concluded.

Bronny James, the 18-year-old son of LeBron James, missed his first USC practice on Monday as he continues to recover from the cardiac arrest he suffered in July, and Trojans coach Andy Enfield says the star freshman feels great.

“Bronny’s doing very well,” Enfield told ESPN. “But we just can’t comment on anything medically. He’s going to class and doing extremely well in school, and we’re really excited for him.

“He’s around when he can be. And he’s getting caught up [with] some schoolwork and doing very well. His grades are excellent right now, and he’s being the true student-athlete.”

Bronny James was not present for USC’s first practice of the season.

Andy Enfield wouldn’t offer a timeline, but said he’s doing “very well”. A James family spokesperson said he’s expected back to the court “very soon” https://t.co/7z2fV2ejWP

— Ryan Kartje (@Ryan_Kartje) September 26, 2023

On July 24, Bronny James suffered a sudden cardiac arrest during a basketball practice at USC’s Galen Center and was transported to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in an ambulance around 9:26 a.m.

The four-star recruit spent only a day in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU). He was discharged from the hospital two days later. The James family announced on Aug. 27 that Bronny had been diagnosed with a congenital heart defect.

The “probable cause” of Bronny’s sudden cardiac arrest was an “anatomically and functionally significant congenital heart defect,” per a James family spokesperson. They remain confident that LeBron’s eldest son can return to basketball in the “very near future.”

Bronny James missed his first USC practice on Monday, coach Andy Enfield says the incoming freshman is “doing very well” after suffering cardiac arrest in July and will be a valuable part of the basketball team

Furthermore, the full statement by Stephanie Rosa of the LeBron James Family Foundation reads:

“After a comprehensive initial evaluation at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center led by Dr. Merije Chukumerije and follow-up evaluations at the Mayo Clinic led by Dr. Michael J. Ackerman and Atlantic Health/Morristown Medical Center led by Dr. Matthew W. Martinez, the probable cause of Mr. James’ sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) has been identified.

“It is an anatomically and functionally significant Congenital Heart Defect which can and will be treated. We are very confident in Bronny’s full recovery and return to basketball in the very near future. We will continue to provide updates to media and respectfully reiterate the family’s request for privacy.”

Out at USC men’s basketball’s first official practice of the year. No Bronny James, but Isaiah Collier, DJ Rodman here. pic.twitter.com/OZkNElNdMN

— Luca Evans (@bylucaevans) September 25, 2023

Additionally, Bronny James turns 19 next Friday. Although Enfield is unsure when the USC freshman will return to the court, he’s excited to work with him and believes James will be an important piece to the team.

“We anticipate him being a very valuable part of our basketball team,” Andy Enfield added. “But that’ll be all sorted out. He’s the ultimate teammate because he cares about winning, and he has such a personal relationship with all his teammates.

“When you watch him on the court and you’re around them, that’s the first thing you notice within five or 10 minutes — and it’s contagious. So that’s why we’ll miss that here until he gets back. But he’s certainly a big part of our team.”

Moreover, USC opens its 2023-24 season at home on Nov. 6, when they play Kansas State. The 6-foot-4 guard should be ready to play at full strength by then.

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Indiana had a disappointing 2022/23 campaign, as they ended in the 11th position of the Eastern Conference with a 35-47 mark by the end of regular season. This meant they weren’t even able to compete for the Play-In Tournament and were off early for summer vacations.

However, they did have a positive start as they registered 23-18 in the schedule’s first half, reaching in their division’s sixth place by January 2023. Led by their point guard Tyrese Haliburton, who became an All-Star in his first season with the Pacers, they ranked right in the middle of the league’s table both defensively and offensively.

After working hard all summer, head coach Rick Carlisle is ready to bounce back this upcoming competition. The franchise from Indianapolis has made plenty of roster changes in the last couple of years, and he believes Haliburton’s star power has helped bring in other stars like Bruce Brown.

Indiana Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle says NBA In-Season tournament makes a lot of sense, chats offseasonhttps://t.co/jfojeSs8sa pic.twitter.com/LnpqJ3sTuA

— All Pacers on SI (@SIPacers) September 24, 2023

“We like the direction we’re headed. There has been a lot of change to the roster, obviously, over the last few years. Haliburton has changed everything for us. He’s not only a tremendous player but someone other people are going to want to play with. Without him, we don’t get Bruce Brown in free agency,” he assured.

One remark in particular that caught our attention was his take on the new In-Season Tournament, which he believes ‘makes a lot of sense’ as most sport leagues around the world have other complimentary competitions in which they can try out younger players and different tactics.

“This is another trophy. The Premier League in soccer has been doing this for decades with a high level of success, so it’s time to jump in,” the trainer said. “It sounds to me like it’s very well-organized and makes a lot of sense. I’m sure a lot will be learned in Year 1 that will be adjusted for Year 2 as needed.”

Carlisle is convinced they’ve been lucky these past NBA drafts, and can’t wait to try out their newest arrivals in Indiana.

“Our draft has been terrific the last two years,” the Pacers coach said. “And the acquisition of [Knicks 2018 lottery pick] Obi Toppin is going to give him an opportunity and gets us one of the best transition players in the world on a team that led the league in fast-break points [18.1 per game] last year.”

Carlisle is convinced that if star Haliburton stays healthy throughout the campaign he can lead Indiana to an NBA title

Last season, Haliburton lost many games due to injury right when the team was playing their best basketball. As he recovered, the Pacers went on a losing streak. Coach Carlisle believes it is key to keep Tyrese healthy throughout the campaign in order to aspire for the playoffs and beyond.

“Had Tyrese not gone down for 12 or 13 games in January … we were 23-18 when he got injured, then he missed the better part of a month. We went 1-9 right after he got hurt. That speaks to the importance he has to our team,” he said.

In the video above, check out the former Mavericks trainer’s final press conference as they exited the 2022/23 season.

After Haliburton’s participation in the last FIBA World Cup with Team USA, he received positive feedback as a player who improves his teammates around him.

“Oh yeah, yeah. He allows those around him to achieve at a high level. That’s one of the consistent definitions of greatness of NBA players. So he’s very special,” Carlisle added.