Jabari Parker Isn't Mad Chicago Traded Him Because He Has More Street Cred Than the Bulls

Jabari Parker, noted Chicago guy, was a member of the Chicago Bulls for about seven months from the summer of 2018 to the winter of 2019. While he never became the superstar everyone predicted he would be before the 2014 draft, who doesn't love a feel-good homecoming story?

The Bulls, apparently. They traded Parker to the Wizards in February of this past season before the deadline. Parker finished his season in Washington and ended up in Atlanta for the 2019-20 season. He's returning to Chicago on Wednesday, and was asked about his feelings towards his hometown franchise that shipped him halfway across the country. His response can be summed up with, "I'm not mad, BUT..."

Jabari Parker returns to Chicago today as a member of the Hawks, but insists there’s no hard feelings toward the Bulls. "I just had to move on, but that never changed about how I feel about my city because I have more street cred than that organization period," he told ESPN. pic.twitter.com/hiArB9MVFP
— Eric Woodyard (@E_Woodyard) December 11, 2019

He probably isn't even wrong at this point. The Bulls have been terrible this century outside of the early Derrick Rose years. The brand itself is still strong, but fans have grown increasingly displeased with the combination of Gar Forman and John Paxson, and especially ownership's willingness to put up with that pair's constant failures.

A great soundbite regardless.