ESPN: Mormon athlete Jabari Parker's family to limit media availability for the summer
In this photo taken Thursday, April 12, 2012, in Chicago, Simeon Career Academy's Jabari Parker, walks down the school's hallway after he is named the Gatorade National Boys Basketball Player of the Year. Parker does not seek the material trophies and medals with his basketball success, on the contrary, Parker would give them to kids following him after big games as a token of appreciation, so the coaches now grab them from him quickly. (AP Photo/M. Spencer Green)
M. Spencer Green, ASSOCIATED PRESS
Related top list: High school athletes who have appeared on the cover of Sports Illustrated
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Related article: Sports Illustrated writer Jeff Benedict grateful for the opportunity to share Jabari Parker story with the world
Our take: You've probably seen our stories on LDS athlete and highly touted basketball recruit Jabari Parker, and you may have read author Jeff Benedict's cover story on Parker in Sports Illustrated. But that may be all you hear about the 6-foot-9 hoops star for a while. ESPN Chicago reports:
"Basketball never stops, so we're getting ready to shut it down for him," Parker's father, Sonny, said. "He just wants to continue to be a kid, watch cartoons, hang out with a friends and everything.
"I think Jabari is the first (high school) player who has experienced this social media stuff. LeBron (James) and Kobe (Bryant) never experienced that. Jabari can't go to the bathroom without being on Twitter. It's the first time a player of his caliber you know he plays a game, gets out of the shower and he's on YouTube."
Sonny said all the attention has gotten to his son.
"It's overwhelming," Sonny said. "It could be a distraction sometimes because he still has to stay in the same routine. I think the distractions sometimes can get overwhelming."
Read more about Mormon basketball star Jabari Parker on ESPNChicago.com.
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Layton is an assistant editor for DeseretNews.com. He also helps manage the organization's social media presence and writes sports articles. Prior to his internship and employment at the Deseret News, Layton received a more ..
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Hedgehog, what hounding is he getting from the LDS church? Facts please as I am curious.
Good to know that his parents are keeping an eye on things and protecting him from the self-seeking vultures who would be only too happy to eat him up for lunch.
With what I've heard of him and his parents, I suspect he'll do
"All the reason to come to the quiet atmosphere of a little church school in the nowhere West."
---sammyg
Right. There's no way for the media to blow-up a story coming from a BYU player. I mean, it's been at least More..