Chandler Parsons will make his return to Dallas on Friday. Parsons spent two years in Dallas before opting out of his deal this past offseason and signing a four-year max contract with the Memphis Grizzlies.
His decision to opt out was kind of controversial, so much so that he’s apparently gotten a ton of flack from Mavs fans on social media. Furthermore, Parsons expects that the social media banter will carry over to his return to Dallas in the form of boos. As he told ESPN’s Tim MacMahon, he thinks this is ridiculous.
Dallas, I don’t understand. It’s like getting mad at somebody for getting in a car wreck and breaking their arm. Like, how in the world can you be mad at somebody for getting hurt? It makes no sense. That’s just so wrong to get mad at somebody for getting hurt, like they want to go through the rehab, want to go through the pain, want to go through the misery of not playing. I can never understand that aspect of it. So when it comes to Dallas, you’re going to get mad at me because Dirk decided to take less money to bring in a really good player and then unfortunately he gets hurt? That’s why you’re mad? Sure, boo.
Parsons is referring to the knee injury that ended his 2015-16 season after only 61 games. His decision to opt out was kind of risky, because he turned down $16 million in the final year of his deal with Dallas. It ended up working out in his favor since he got paid, but considering he said earlier in the year that he was returning to the Mavericks, it obviously ruffled some feathers.
Comments like this won’t help Parsons’ case with Mavericks fans, and this may cause the Dallas faithful to boo him a little more on Friday. He seems like he has thick skin and expects this to happen, though, so at least he won’t be blindsided by all this.
(Via ESPN)
