If you haven't had a chance to read Jabari Parker's powerful essay in the Players' Tribune from August of 2016, you owe it to yourself to check it out. Parker professes his love for the city of Chicago and his desire to help fight against the problems of drugs and gang violence that affect so many of the city's impoverished neighborhoods.
Parker writes about his dad, former NBA player Sonny Parker, forming a foundation to help South Side kids stay in school and prepare for college. Sonny Parker didn't make the huge salaries that today's players earn but he stressed to his children how important it was for him to return to Chicago after his playing career ended in the San Francisco area.