by Brandon Richard
Favorite for NBA Rookie of the Year, Milwaukee's Jabari Parker is already showing that he belongs in the league. This preseason, he's averaging about 15 points and 6 rebounds, including a big 21 and 11 performance against Andrew Wiggins and the Minnesota Timberwolves last week.
Parker is also one of the newest members of Jordan Brand, who hopped on a chance to sign the prized rookie back in June. Though he's mostly played in the new Super.Fly 3, we've also seen Parker wear the Air Jordan XX for Media Day and debut his own Bucks-themed Air Jordan 12 PE.
How exactly did Parker land on Jordan Brand? In an interview with SLAM's Christopher Cason, Jordan Brand President Larry Miller said, "Jabari clearly fits what we’re looking for, in terms of his character, his family life, his connection to his community. All of those things kind of came together, and Jabari is what we feel is a perfect fit for the Jordan Brand."
Parker is a Chicago native who has a deep connection to the city, similar to Jordan and the brand. He was a four-time state champion at Simeon and won Mr. Basketball Illinois twice. Michael Jordan was excited about the possibility of adding Parker from the jump.
"MJ was really excited about Jabari from the beginning," said Miller. "And he was like, 'That’s who we have to go after.' And we all agreed."
While Jordan Brand has ties to Blake Griffin and Chris Paul, Parker would be the first player to win Rookie of the Year while part of the Jordan Brand roster.
Head over to SLAM to read the rest of Cason's interview with Larry Miller.
image via David Richard for USA Today Sports
