“You’ll Never Make It to the NBA”: Joakim Noah Lauds Chandler Parsons for Proving Billy Donovan Wrong with 10-Year Career

Chandler Parsons made headlines for the massive multi-year contract he secured with the Memphis Grizzlies during 2016’s free agency craze. However, his former college teammate, Joakim Noah, shared how Parsons actually beat the odds long before he inked that infamous four-year, $94 million contract.

Noah revealed on FanDuel TV’s Run it Back just how unexpected Parsons’ path to the NBA and subsequent success in the league was. “I know this guy since he was 15 years old. Nobody would have ever thought that he would have a 10-year NBA career,” the 2014 Defensive Player of the Year said.

Even their former head coach with the Florida Gators, Billy Donovan, had declared his lack of confidence in Parsons’ professional prospects. “I’ve heard Billy Donovan go, ‘You’ll never make it in the NBA’ to [Parsons],” Noah added.

The former All-Star big man heaped praise on the 36-year-old for overcoming all the negativity and doubt around him to carve out a successful NBA career.

“I’ve heard Billy Donovan say, ‘You’ll never make it to the NBA,’ to Chandler.”@JoakimNoah gives Chandler Parsons props for his 10 seasons in the NBA and how he’s used that experience to inform his commentary career @MichelleDBeadle | @TeamLou23 | @ChandlerParsons pic.twitter.com/1cpi9DqXIL

— Run It Back (@RunItBackFDTV) December 17, 2024

While Parsons was unfortunately forced to retire at just 31 years old following several injury-riddled campaigns, he served as a solid complementary scorer throughout the early 2010s. Parsons averaged 12.7 points, 4.5 rebounds and 2.7 assists over a 10-year career, but his most productive seasons were spent alongside James Harden on the Houston Rockets.

After joining the team as an unheralded second-round pick in 2011, Parsons quickly rose to become a starting-caliber forward, topped off by a career year in 2013-14 that saw him put up 16.6 points, 5.5 rebounds and 4.0 assists.

Parsons’ NBA career may have ended unceremoniously, but Noah lauded his post-playing career as an analyst. The 39-year-old underlined Parsons’ support for players recovering from injury on his show, stating that the former forward can empathize with recovering athletes better than journalists due to his extensive physical rehab experience.

Noah specifically pointed to Lonzo Ball’s case, who had been one of the league’s most intriguing young talents before suffering complicated knee injuries during his first year with the Chicago Bulls.

Parsons decided to retire after playing just 110 contests over his final four seasons as injuries took a toll on him. But the veteran forward tried to will his way through as long as he could.

Chandler Parsons played through injury for as long as he could

Parsons’ ailments over the years have apparently affected him so much that he struggles to walk normally today. “Have you seen Chandler walk?” Noah pointed out his friend’s troubles while on the show.

Host of the show, Michelle Beadle, admitted that it’s indeed hard to watch CP climb the stairs.

Parsons pointed out how his hard work and numerous surgeries were overshadowed when fans saw him out doing fun things. As if a double knee replacement wasn’t enough to deter him from returning to the court, a bad car accident during his 2020 stint with Atlanta officially ended any hope of reviving his playing career.

But it seems Parsons has found peace and purpose in his newest venture.