Jabari Parker isn’t interested in the attention
Chicago high school basketball star, Jabari Parker, is reportedly a bit uncomfortable with all the attention he’s been receiving as the nation’s #1 high school basketball recruit for 2013. JP has a ton of top notch colleges recruiting him…UConn, Duke, Kansas, Kentucky, Illinois, Louisville, Michigan State, North Carolina, Ohio State, Northwestern, and DePaul. Even with all that love, his dad, Sonny Parker, recently said “He doesn’t like a lot of attention. He’s managing. With all the interviews, they want to do a book, they want to do a movie, they want to do a documentary, those things. He says ‘Dad, why do they have to follow me to school and church and home and everything?’ He’s trying to get used to that.”
It’s got to be tough being a high school junior with people putting those thoughts in your head. Yes, he’s an amazing basketball talent. Yes, he graced the cover of Sports Illustrated a few weeks back (which definitely didn’t help). Yes, he’s going to be a multi-millionaire in about 24 months when he’s drafted #1 overall…but at the end of the day, he’s still a 17 year old KID!
How would you have dealt with that kind of attention at 17? My guess- not well.
The way I see it, there are three ways you can deal with that attention:
1) LeBron James – Embrace every second of the attention, get a huge head, become a great player that no one likes.
2) Eddy Curry – Shy away from the spotlight, slack off, become an NBA bust.
3) Derrick Rose – Don’t listen to the hype, work your ass off, become one of the best and most beloved players in the game.
Well Jabari, the choice is yours. I recommend option #3. If possible, try to have a sit down with fellow Chicago basketball star, Derrick Rose, to get some advice. He’s done a great job of avoiding the spotlight, while still shining as an NBA star.
