Jabari Parker: Basketball Phenom, Mormon, and Future Missionary?

We've posted a couple of stories on Elliot's blog about young men who excel in sports and are then faced with the decision whether to serve a mission. Our two stories featured rugby stars Sid Going and Will Hopoate, both of whom elected to serve missions. In Elder Going's case, he returned from a mission to Canada and became one of the most celebrated stars of New Zealand's All Blacks team. Elder Hopoate is currently on his mission in Australia, so we'll have to wait to see about his professional rugby career.

A similar story is currently developing. A young man from Chicago, Jabari Parker, is being hailed as the top high school basketball player in the country and a sure thing for the NBA. He was recently featured in a lengthy cover story in Sports Illustrated, which called him "the best high school basketball player since Lebron James." But the subtitle of the story points out that "there's something more important to him than NBA stardom: his faith." Jabari is a Mormon. The Sports Illustrated story points out:

The backpack that Jabari Parker takes everywhere contains all the expected items: a pair of Nikes, socks with the NBA logo, basketball shorts, T-shirts, Icy Hot gel, a couple of rolls of athletic prewrap, and an iPod loaded with rap and R&B. But there's also a paperback copy of The Book of Mormon. Jabari belongs to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. "Basketball is what I do," he says. "It's not who I am."

The story acknowledges the difficult decision Jabari will face at the end of his freshman year of college: enter the NBA draft, with the potential to make the astronomical salaries available to young stars, or risk that future to serve a two-year mission for the Church, where he will be unable to train seriously or play at a high level to maintain his skill level.

Eyes might be on him most of all at the end of his freshman year in college, when he has to decide whether he will declare for the NBA draft or—like thousands of other Mormon men who turn 19—embark on a two-year mission to spread the faith in the U.S. or a foreign country (page 67). In 2010 the president of the church, Thomas S. Monson, called missionary service "a priesthood duty—an obligation the Lord expects of us who have been given so very much." 

Missionaries do not return home for two years. They aren't allowed to have a job, attend college classes or pursue other personal interests. In Jabari's case, that would mean a two-year hiatus from basketball and conditioning, possibly jeopardizing a brilliant NBA career.

Whatever decision Jabari makes, what is beyond question is that he is an extraordinary young man, and not just because he's a 6'9" budding superstar. Another excerpts from the SI story:

Jabari wakes up each morning at five and says a simple prayer, thanking God for another day. By 5:30 three days a week he's off to church for Bible study. Jabari's bio on his Twitter page features a favorite maxim from his basketball idol John Wooden: You can't let praise or criticism get to you. It's a weakness to get caught up in either one. "I realize why I'm in the position I'm in right now," says Jabari. "It's not because of me. It's because of God."

It's a great story of a great young man. It's nice to see such good coverage, done fairly by a member of the Church, Jeff Benedict. There is also a companion story in the same edition of Sports Illustrated, To Serve Or Not To Serve?, which discusses Jabari's decision and talks about others before him who faced the same decision. Both stories are well worth a read.

The Oklahoman included a brief summary of the story about Jabari, Faith and Hoops: Check out Sports Illustrated. And most recently Jabari was interviewed on ABC's Good Morning America. The video interview is below.

Mormon Messages: "Your Day for a Mission"

One of my favorite stories on Elliot's blog tells of the experience of Sid Going, the promising young Australian rugby star who chose to serve a two-year mission for the Church just as his rugby career was poised to take off. You can read Elder Going's story here.

The Church recently produced a Mormon Messages video of Elder Going's story. It's a great video, again based on the account of his life as told by Elder Neil L. Andersen of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles at the April 2011 General Conference.

Enjoy the video.

 

Will Hopoate: Rugby star, missionary, and a Mormon

History has a way of repeating itself. A few months ago, we posted a story on Elliot's blog about Sid Going. Sid was a rising rugby star in the early 1960s, and he was also a member of the Church. Faced with giving up a promising (not to mention lucrative) professional rugby career, Sid chose to serve a mission for the Church in Canada. At the completion of his two years of service, Sid returned home to New Zealand, where he renewed his rugby career, played for the All Blacks rugby team, and became one of the legends of the sport.

Flash forward 50 years. A young Australian named Will Hopoate is a rising rugby star. His team, the Manly Sea Eagles, recently won the Australian National Rugby League championship. Like Sid Going before him, Will is a member of the Church who has opted to leave professional rugby for two years while he serves a mission to Brisbane. Will already has a contract waiting for him on his return with the Parramatta Eels, but that's an uncertain future two years off. We hope he will have a very successful mission and return to a rugby career like Sid Going.

Sid and Will met shortly before Will left on his mission. They both spoke to youth at a meeting in Canberra. Speaking of the decision to serve a mission, Sid said:

If I didn’t go, I don’t know if I would’ve have had the career I did. I came back a much more mature person, knowing the goals and directions I wanted to go. It was the best decision I made at the time, and I’m sure Will will feel the same. I think the decision is the best decision he could’ve ever made.

Will added:

I was never the most obedient child, but I have found that if I put the Lord first in my life, everything else just falls into place. Everything just takes care of itself ... He blessed me to play first grade, He blessed me to play State of Origin, He blessed me to play in the finals ... In my heart and soul, I know that those things are blessings from God.

Here is a great "I'm a Mormon" video from Will that tells his story.



And here are several examples of the tremendous media coverage about Will and his missionary service:

• Rugby Star Will Hopoate Gives Up Millions for Missionary Service
• All Black legend backs Will Hopoate's mission
• Mormons in sports: Much ado about Will Hopoate
• Hopoate's mission starts after NRL grand final
• Manly winger Will Hopoate to serve his Mormon mission in Brisbane
• Thy Will be done: Hopoate walks tall on a much more modest stage
• With Hopoate signing the Eels go Good Will Hunting
• Nothing will stop Will Hopoate's Mormon mission

Missionary service: The story of Sid Going

Elliot went on his mission to Oklahoma after completing his freshman year at BYU.  When he returns home in August 2012, we expect that he will resume his studies at BYU, where his brother and sister will be students.  But what about those two "lost" years?  Does taking two years out of the middle of his education set him back?  Will he fall behind his peers?  I remember my high school guidance counselor raising these questions.  He spoke favorably about young Mormon men who chose to serve missions, but at the same time, he questioned the wisdom of interrupting an education or other pursuits for a full two years at such a critical time in a young man's life.  I was ill-equipped to respond to his question at that time.  If I had a chance to speak with him today, I might suggest that he watch the video posted below.  It is an address by Neil L. Andersen of the Quorum of the Twelve at the April 2011 General Conference.  Beginning at about 2:15 of the video, Elder Andersen tells the story of Sid Going, who interrupted an extremely promising career as a professional rugby player to serve a mission to Canada.  The story illustrates one example of a young man whose mission certainly did not set him back or limit his options when he returned.  Enjoy the video (the text is posted after the jump).