Jabari Parker
Born 1995 · Age 30
American professional basketball player. Standout at Simeon (Chicago), one season at Duke (2013–14), 2nd overall pick in 2014 NBA Draft, played multiple NBA teams (2014–2022), rebounded career in Europe with FC Barcelona (2023–2025) and signed with Partizan in 2025.
Compare Your Trajectory
See how your career milestones stack up against Jabari Parker and other industry leaders.
Life & Career Timeline
Born in Chicago, Illinois
Jabari Ali Parker is born in the South Shore community area of Chicago to Sonny and Lola Parker.
Emerging youth basketball talent (approx.)
By second grade Parker's basketball skills were said to be superior to fifth-graders; he began competing in older age groups.
Made eighth-grade team as fourth-grader (approx.)
Parker made the eighth-grade team while still in fourth grade but could not play until fifth grade due to insurance policy.
High school freshman starter at Simeon
Became first freshman in Simeon Career Academy history to start on the varsity team; averaged ~19.3 PPG and helped win the IHSA Class 4A state championship.
ESPN HS Freshman of the Year
Named ESPN HS 2010 Freshman of the Year after standout freshman season at Simeon.
Religious milestone: became a priest in LDS Church
At age 16 he became a priest in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and was active in church service.
Sophomore season and state championship
As a sophomore helped Simeon win the IHSA Class 4A state championship; averaged ~15.3 PPG and 5.9 RPG.
USA Basketball U16 MVP & FIBA Americas Gold
Named MVP of the 2011 FIBA Americas U16 Championship; Team USA won gold, qualifying for U17 World Championship.
Selected to USA U17 World Championship roster (Kaunas 2012 qualifiers)
Named to the USA squad that would compete at the 2012 FIBA U17 World Championship (team later won gold in Lithuania; Parker missed some games due to ankle injury).
USA Basketball Male Athlete of the Year
Named USA Basketball's Male Athlete of the Year (youngest ever) based on his FIBA Americas performance.
Illinois Mr. Basketball (first non-senior winner)
Won Illinois Mr. Basketball as a junior — the first non-senior in the award's history.
Nike Global Challenge MVP (summer 2011 indicated)
Took MVP honors at the 5th annual Nike Global Challenge (listed in junior year achievements).
Junior season: national recognition
Set Simeon single-game scoring record (40 points in 21 minutes vs Perspectives); averaged ~19.5–20.4 PPG with dominant all-around numbers and led Simeon to a 33–1 record and state title.
Gatorade National Player of the Year (junior)
Announced as the national boys' basketball Gatorade Player of the Year.
Injury: foot injury before senior summer
Sidelined with a foot injury entering summer 2012, causing him to miss some U17 World Championship games.
Committed to Duke University
Announced verbal commitment to Duke on December 20, 2012.
High school national honors (McDonald's, Parade, MaxPreps)
Named McDonald's All-American, First-team Parade All-American, MaxPreps National Player of the Year and other national honors.
Senior year: fourth straight state championship
Led Simeon to its fourth consecutive IHSA Class 4A state championship (scored 20 with 8 rebounds in final) and finished senior season 30–3.
Father Sonny Parker's kidney disease reported
In 2013 Jabari's father Sonny developed a kidney disease requiring dialysis, impacting his ability to attend games.
Morgan Wootten National Player of the Year
Received the Morgan Wootten Male Player of the Year award (recognizes character and leadership among McDonald's All-Americans).
Jordan Brand Classic co-MVP
Co-MVP of the Jordan Brand Classic (16 pts, 7 rebs, 2 ast) helping West to victory at Barclays Center.
Nike Hoop Summit: team-high 22 points
Scored a team-high 22 points and 7 rebounds for the USA Junior National Select Team at the Nike Hoop Summit.
Duke debut: 22 points vs Davidson
Debuted for Duke on Nov 8, 2013 with 22 points, 6 rebounds; wore number 1 as a true freshman starter.
Champions Classic: 27 points vs Kansas
Scored 27 points and 9 rebounds in the Champions Classic at United Center vs Andrew Wiggins and Kansas.
Agent/signing with Rich Paul
Signed with sports agent Rich Paul before the 2014 NBA Draft (some sources also indicate B. J. Armstrong involvement).
Opted out of NBA Draft Combine
Declined to participate in the NBA Draft Combine prior to the 2014 draft.
Duke freshman records
Set Duke freshman scoring average record (19.1 PPG) and became first freshman to lead team in both scoring and rebounding.
Helped Coach K reach 900 wins
Tallied 14 points and 14 rebounds vs Florida State, contributing to Mike Krzyzewski's 900th win at Duke.
ACC and national freshman honors
Unanimous All-ACC first team, ACC Freshman of the Year, consensus first-team All-American, USBWA National Freshman of the Year, and Wooden Award All-American team member for 2013–14 season.
End of Duke season — NCAA first round exit
Duke (No. 3 Midwest) lost in the NCAA first round to No. 14 Mercer, ending Parker's lone collegiate season.
Declared for 2014 NBA Draft
Announced he would forgo remaining college eligibility and enter NBA Draft via a Sports Illustrated exclusive.
Jordan Brand endorsement
Signed a shoe/endorsement deal with Jordan Brand just prior to the draft.
Selected 2nd overall in 2014 NBA Draft
Drafted 2nd overall by the Milwaukee Bucks in the 2014 NBA Draft.
Signed rookie contract with Milwaukee Bucks
Signed with the Bucks and joined Summer League; began NBA career.
NBA debut
Made NBA debut in season opener vs Charlotte Hornets (8 points, 4 rebounds).
Season-high 23 in triple-overtime
Posted a season-high 23 points in a triple-overtime win over the Brooklyn Nets.
Tore left ACL — season-ending injury
Suffered a season-ending torn left anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) against the Phoenix Suns.
Returned from ACL injury
Made return to action for Bucks on Nov 4, 2015 vs Philadelphia 76ers after rehab.
Key win vs Golden State: 19 points
Scored 19 to help end Golden State's 24-game win streak.
Selected to 2016 Rising Stars Challenge
Named to NBA All-Star weekend Rising Stars roster.
Career-high 36 points
Set new career high with 36 points in a Bucks victory over the Houston Rockets.
Second ACL tear — out for season
MRI revealed torn ACL in his left knee; ruled out for remainder of 2016–17 season (second tear in same knee).
Assigned to Wisconsin Herd (G League) for rehab work
Assigned to Bucks' G League affiliate to practice and progress in recovery.
Returned to NBA action (Feb 2, 2018)
Made first appearance for Bucks since February 2017, scoring 12 points vs Knicks.
Season-high 35 points (Apr 1, 2018)
Posted a season-high 35 points and 10 rebounds in an overtime loss to Denver.
Signed 2-year, $40M with Chicago Bulls
Bucks retracted qualifying offer; Parker signed a two-year, $40 million contract with his hometown Bulls.
Bulls debut
Debuted for Chicago Bulls with 15 points and 5 rebounds off the bench vs Philadelphia.
Team declined $20M option
Washington declined the team option that would have paid Parker approximately $20 million for the second year.
Traded to Washington Wizards
Traded along with Bobby Portis and a 2023 second-round pick to the Wizards in exchange for Otto Porter.
Career-high 14 rebounds (Feb 27, 2019)
Recorded a then-career-high 14 rebounds in a game vs the Brooklyn Nets.
Signed 2-year, $13M with Atlanta Hawks
Signed a two-year contract worth $13 million with the Atlanta Hawks.
33 points, 14 rebounds vs Bucks
Logged a season-high 33 points along with 14 rebounds for the Hawks in a loss to Milwaukee.
Shoulder injury
Announced out at least two weeks with a shoulder injury.
Traded to Sacramento Kings
Traded along with Alex Len to the Kings in exchange for Dewayne Dedmon and draft picks.
Waived by Sacramento Kings
Kings waived Jabari Parker.
Signed with Boston Celtics
Signed with the Celtics; later appeared in regular season and playoff games, contributing as a role player.
Waived by Celtics (Oct 17, 2021)
Waived by Boston, then re-signed three days later to a renegotiated contract.
Waived by Celtics again (Jan 7, 2022)
Parker was waived by Boston for the second time.
Joined Milwaukee Bucks for 2023 Summer League
Returned to Bucks organization for the 2023 NBA Summer League after a year away from pro basketball.
Signed with FC Barcelona (one-year)
Signed a one-year deal with EuroLeague and Liga ACB powerhouse FC Barcelona, marking move to Europe.
Barcelona debut: team-high 12 points
Debuted for Barcelona, scoring a team-high 12 points in a win over Girona.
Contract extension with Barcelona through 2026
Signed contract extension with FC Barcelona in April 2024, extending stay through 2026.
All-Liga ACB Second Team (2024–25)
Named to the All-Liga ACB Second Team for the 2024–25 season.
34-point game: Barcelona Liga ACB record (individual)
Scored 34 points (6 three-pointers) in an away Liga ACB win against BC Andorra — highest individual Barca ACB score in 11 years.
Contract terminated by Barcelona
Barcelona and Parker agreed to terminate the player's contract which was initially set to run through June 30, 2026.
Signed with Partizan Mozzart Bet
Signed with Partizan Mozzart Bet (Belgrade) to play in the Serbian League (KLS), ABA League and the EuroLeague.
Key Achievement Ages
Explore what Jabari Parker and others achieved at these notable ages:
Similar Trajectories
Baby Keem
Born 2000 · Age 25
American rapper, singer, songwriter and record producer (stage name Baby Keem). Gained recognition for production credits on major projects and for his own breakout singles and debut album The Melodic Blue (2021). Cousin of Kendrick Lamar.
Ani Freedman
Born 2000 · Age 25
American journalist and photojournalist focused on health, environment, and community reporting; Hobart & William Smith Colleges alum and Columbia Journalism School MS; fellow on Fortune's Well team; award-winning reporter on PFAS contamination.
Addison Rae
Born 2000 · Age 25
American social media personality, singer and actress who rose to fame on TikTok (2019), expanded into music and film, and released her debut album Addison in 2025.
Mike Truell
Born 2000 · Age 25
Co-founder & CEO of Anysphere (maker of Cursor), a tech prodigy who built an AI-native IDE that rapidly grew into one of the fastest-growing developer tools companies.
Aman Sanger
Born 2000 · Age 25
American squash player and MIT computer science student; varsity No.1 for MIT Engineers (2018-2022), multi-year CSA individual qualifier, high school All-American, founder of an AI consultancy while at MIT, intern and researcher in industry and academia.
James Charles
Born 1999 · Age 26
American beauty YouTuber, makeup artist, and influencer known for popularizing male beauty content on social media; first male CoverGirl ambassador; creator of Sisters Collection with Morphe; host/producer of YouTube Originals 'Instant Influencer'.