Jabari Parker Was Benched For Telling The Media That He Spoke Up In A Team Meeting

Bucks forward Jabari Parker was benched last night for telling reporters that he shared an unpopular point of view in a team meeting, according to ESPN.

Parker was benched only for the start of last night’s game against the Heat, a disciplinary action decided by his teammates in response to what was deemed a violation of the team rule that players not discuss private locker-room dialogue with the media.

The team meeting in question was held Friday, after the Bucks dropped their fourth straight game. Parker didn’t tell reporters what he said in the meeting or what was said to him—but he said that he had said something and that other people had not agreed, and that apparently was enough to earn him a punishment.

“I spoke up for the first time, and it didn’t go my way,” Parker told the media after Friday’s meeting. “I was getting thrashed, but hey, as long as I give them another perspective, I did my job.”

Saturday’s game marked the first time this season that Parker did not start. He scored 16 points from the bench, but the Bucks dropped their fifth straight anyway.

[ ESPN]