Parker advocates an NBA team with all Chicago guys
Hometown loyalty has been a tenuous subject with the Bulls.
Two Chicago natives they signed as free agents in recent years, Jabari Parker and Dwyane Wade, stayed with the team just one season - less than a full season in Parker's case.
Kawhi Leonard, Paul George and Kyrie Irving all said wanting to play at home was a factor in their free-agent decisions last summer. But when Chicago native Anthony Davis wanted to be traded from New Orleans, he asked to go to the Lakers.
Parker talked before Wednesday's game at the United Center about the Bulls not being a destination for Chicago players.
"If it was up to us, we'd have our own team and play here, right? But that's just not the business," Parker said. "The business, they choose who they want. This is the organization and they have the money. So that's how it goes."
Parker also talked about his departure from the Bulls last season. An ESPN.com reporter tweeted an interesting Parker quote, where he said he has more "street cred" than the Bulls' organization.
"I can go anywhere in the city," Parker said Wednesday. "I can go to Englewood, I can go to K-Town. I can go anywhere in the city. That's thanks to my dad, people that I've like helped in the past, but I'm good everywhere in the city."
Parker is talking about how he grew up on the South Side, but spent plenty of time on the West Side, because his father Sonny Parker worked at the James Jordan Boys and Girls Club while Jabari was growing up.
Combo forward talk:
The day before facing Atlanta on Wednesday, the Bulls announced that forward Otto Porter would be sidelined at least another month with a left foot injury. Then before the game, coach Jim Boylen talked about possibly playing Thaddeus Young at small forward because of the low numbers at that spot.
Coincidentally, Jabari Parer was back in town with the Hawks. His brief tenure with the Bulls didn't go well, in part because they tried to play him out of position at small forward. Parker was eventually traded to Washington for Porter.
Parker has played a significant role in Atlanta this season, starting 20 of 25 games. He's the team's third-leading scorer at 16.2 points and second-leading rebounder with 6.4 per game.
Before the game, Parker was asked if playing power forward full-time has been helpful:
"It's just a position, you know? I'm a basketball player at the end of the day," he said. "That doesn't limit what I can do on the floor. I can put the ball on the ground. I'm working on my shot, but I have so many other skills I can contribute to the game."
Pierce supports Trae:
Atlanta's Trae Young was teased a bit on social media for making the "it's over" sign, spreading his arms wide after the Hawks took a 6-point lead in the final minute at Miami on Tuesday. The Heat rallied to force overtime and won the game.
Atlanta coach Lloyd Pierce was asked about the gesture before facing the Bulls on Wednesday.
"I love his confidence," Pierce said. "You make a run down the stretch and that's what you do. You make a big shot, team calls a timeout, you celebrate. Nothing different. I expect him to do the same thing tonight if we're making big runs down at the end of the fourth quarter. If you feel it, celebrate. There's nothing wrong with it."