"Somebody drug test buddy" - Fans mercilessly roast Jabari Parker for suggesting Barcelona big 3 can compete with NBA teams

Jabari Parker may no longer be playing in the NBA, however, the former No. 2 pick has no doubts that he and his Barcelona teammates could take on the NBA's best. After bouncing around the league for the 2019, 2020, and 2021 seasons, Parker signed with the Milwaukee Bucks for the 2023 NBA Summer League.

The situation was followed by the Chicago native signing a one-year contract with Barcelona this week, which led to considerable optimism for Parker. Although he had struggled to get consistent minutes with NBA teams, the move has left him optimistic for the future.

With his sights set high, Jabari Parker is eager to prove that he's still the same dominant player who averaged 20.1 points per game in Milwaukee back in 2016. He has even gone so far as to state that he believes the Barcelona big three of Tomas Satoransky, Willy Hernangomez and himself could compete with the NBA's best.

While speaking to Spanish outlet El Mundo Deportivo, Parker said:

"I have the impression that, with the players we have this year, we're able to compete with any team in the world ... I think we could compete against NBA teams.

"We have several important players who have been there [in the NBA], like me, Sato or Willy. … Our experience is there, having played at the highest level for years. I think we could compete."

These comments sparked an immediate response from fans, most of whom don't agree with Jabari Parker. Here are some of the best reactions:

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Looking at Tomas Satoransky and Willy Hernangomez's recent stats after Jabari Parker's comments

Jabari Parker said that he and his former NBA teammates Tomas Satoransky and Willy Hernangomez could compete with the league's best.

With that in mind, let's look at how their NBA careers panned out. Starting with Satoransky, a 31-year-old combo guard who stands at 6-foot-7, it's clear that he can play at an international level.

In 2015, prior to joining the NBA, Satoransky won the Spanish Supercup with Barcelona before being drafted in the second round of the 2012 NBA draft. After spending three seasons with the Washington Wizards, Satoransky joined the Chicago Bulls for two years, where he put up the best numbers of his NBA run.

During the 2019-20 season, he averaged an NBA career-high 28.9 minutes, while averaging an NBA career-high of 9.9 points per game. In addition, he averaged career highs in rebounds and assists with 3.9 and 5.4 respectively, while averaging 1.2 steals per game.

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Washington Wizards v Atlanta Hawks

Despite what appeared to be a breakout season, Satoransky couldn't keep the momentum rolling, and found himself traded three times in the 2021-22 season. After returning to Barcelona, he will now look to team up with Jabari Parker, and Hernangomez to win another Spanish cup.

In the case of Hernangomez, the 6-foot-11 center similarly spent time playing EuroBasket before joining the NBA for seven seasons. Similar to Satoransky, he simply couldn't find his rhythm, bouncing from team to team while dealing with injuries.

At his best, he averaged an NBA career-high 7.1 rpg during the 2020-21 season with the New Orleans Pelicans. The following season, he averaged an NBA career-high of 9.1 ppg, however after playing less than 50 games a season for four straight years, he returned to Spain.

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