League Pass Favorites: Jabari Parker is every man

The beauty of the NBA is in watching people taller and more talented than you put on athletic feats that every day folks could only accomplish at a trampoline park. It takes winning a genetic lottery to even have hopes of becoming the next LeBron James, Kevin Durant or Anthony Davis. Sure, we all go to our local court as kids and try to emulate the greats (I can’t recall how many times I’ve shouted “KOBE!” after launching an ill-advised jumper) but few of the superstars possess games that can truly be recreated by the average person.

However, every so often, along comes a player who for some reason or another truly resonates with those of us who saw our hoop dreams deflate post-high school. For me, that player is Milwaukee Bucks forward Jabari Parker. Parker’s game screams “Old man at the YMCA.” For me, it is a joy to watch him slowly score against bigger or more athletic opponents on a nightly basis.

I know being 6-foot-8 with a 7-foot wingspan isn’t something the average person possesses, but Parker sticks out when watching him go up against the rest of the league. He isn’t going to win any bodybuilding competitions, which, as out of shape as most of us get after the glory years of college, helps me envision myself pulling off some of his highlights (except the dunks) in my men’s league games. And when he does pull out a showstopping slam or block, I can trick myself into believing that a few dedicated weeks in the gym could potentially yield similar results for myself.

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Injuries have stripped us of the chance of seeing the Jabari Parker that Sports Illustrated claimed was “the best high school player since LeBron James,” but, as he’s rehabilitated his body and his game, he’s become a hero for the every man who refuses to put down the ball no matter how many aches and pains they experience postgame.

Aside from living vicariously through him, Parker’s game remains a zig while the rest of the league zags. He’s not a dinosaur à la Carmelo Anthony, but he likes to play from spots on the floor that most teams opt to ignore in the modern NBA. The trick is that he can still weave just enough of the new school philosophy into his abilities that help him stick around.

Giannis Antetokounmpo has taken on the role of franchise player for Milwaukee as Parker has rounded into form the past couple of years. The hope once was that the duo would become an interchangeable tandem that could wreak havoc on the league with their size and versatility. Antetokounmpo is doing that, but Parker has not reached the level of the Greek Freak yet.

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I remember my dad always telling me how Batman was his favorite superhero. He would wax poetically about how Batman is just an ordinary person who put the time and effort in to master the skills required of being a superhero — the billions of dollars from Wayne Enterprises didn’t hurt either — whereas Superman dominated because he was of a superior alien race. That’s the best way I can sum up why I’m attracted to Parker’s game: Antetokounmpo is Clark Kent and Parker is Bruce Wayne.