In recent times, the NBA has seen a large number of players moving to overseas leagues for a variety of reasons. Many often cite better career opportunities overseas for their move away from the United States. Jabari Parker, who recently inked a one-year deal with Euro League side FC Barcelona, explained his thought process behind choosing to continue his career overseas. In his statement, Parker greatly emphasized the current state of the league and the reasons why John Wall, DeMarcus Cousins, and Dwight Howard chose to move their talents beyond the United States. Shaquille O’Neal seems to agree with Parker’s statement, given he reshared Parker’s quote on his Instagram story.
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Jabari Parker has spent eight lackluster seasons in the NBA, last signing with the Milwaukee Bucks on a summer league contract this year. Parker’s career in the league was ridden with injuries, which held him from finding a permanent home in the NBA.
Shaquille O’Neal agrees with Jabari Parker’s opinion on the league being ‘watered down’
Jabari Parker shared some strong opinions on the NBA, ahead of playing for the EuroLeague side FC Barcelona. According to the 28-year-old, the NBA has currently ‘watered down’ and turned more into a business than an elite sporting league. He was unwilling to wait and find an opportunity to play for the upcoming season, which is an extenuating process within the NBA. In an interview with EuroHoops, here is what Parker had to say about the current state of the league.
“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. 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. It’s a lot of things that are out of our control.”
Certainly, Parker’s thoughts on the NBA are definitely valid, given the current phenomenon prevalent within the league. There are a few teams that aim for title contention, while there are others that try to make the worst league record in order to get favorable draft picks. This often results in some of the most talented players bearing the brunt of the harsh consequences that follow such a business-oriented model.
Shaquille O’Neal is quite outright and vocal about his opinions on the league and never fails to express them either in person or through social media. In one of his recent social media updates, the big man shared Parker’s quote on his Instagram story, perhaps giving his nod of agreement to what the former Bucks player had to say.
Is Shaquille O’Neal agreeing with Jabari Parker? pic.twitter.com/swtqHmBH9o
— What are NBA Celebs Upto? (@NBACelebsUpdate) September 29, 2023
Some top NBA talents are currently playing in overseas league
Some of the top NBA talents, including the likes of Dwight Howard, DeMarcus Cousins, and Kemba Walker are currently pursuing their career overseas. Dwight Howard is currently playing in Taiwan’s T1 League since 2022, while DeMarcus Cousins and Kemba Walker are playing in Puerto Rico and the EuroLeague respectively.
Dwight Howard recently came close to a return to the league when rumors linked him with the Golden State Warriors. Clips of Howard practicing with the Warriors gave rise to speculations of the Dubs signing him for a one-year deal. Instead, the Warriors decided to snub Howard and chose Rudy Gay for a one-year deal, intending to add more depth and experience to their roster.
