Duke freshman Jabari Parker sat down with Sports Illustrated’s Jeff Benedict to discuss why he’s decided to forego his three years of college eligibility to enter the 2014 NBA Draft. It was not a decision that came easily to the 6-8 standout from Chicago.
Parker and Benedict chat about his decision, and Jabari added a long explanation for Sports Illustrated along with the video of their conversation.
As Jabari wrote, it was not an easy decision, but it came down to two things which ultimately led him to the decision:
I haven’t consulted many people during this process. I talked to my parents, though. They simply said it was my decision and they would stand behind me either way. They just want me to be happy.
Ultimately, I boiled my decision down to two simple questions:
Which environment — college or the NBA — offers me the best opportunity to grow as a basketball player?
Which environment — college or the NBA — offers me the best opportunity to grow and develop off the court?
The answer to both questions is undeniably the NBA.
Parker was listed as going No. 3 in Jonathan Givony’s latest mock draft for DraftExpress.com. Chad Ford has him ranked as the No. 2 prospect for ESPN (Insider only).
During his lone season at Duke, Parker shot better than 47 percent from the field and 35.8 percent from beyond the three-point arc while averaging 19.1 points, 8.7 rebounds, 1.2 assists, 1.2 blocks and 1.1 steals in 30.7 minutes of action.
Did Jabari make the right decision?
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