Milwaukee Bucks' Jabari Parker confident he can return 'better' from second ACL surgery

ST. FRANCIS - Milwaukee Bucks forward Jabari Parker believes he can come back stronger following his second surgery for a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee.

Parker spoke for the first time since his injury after the Bucks' practice session Thursday at the Cousins Center. Parker suffered the injury Feb. 8 against Miami and underwent surgery Feb. 14 in Vail, Colo.

"Attitude is longitude," Parker said. "That's for everybody in life. If you think a certain way, you're going to be down. But if you are seeing it that the glass is halfway full, things are going to work out."

Parker suffered his first ACL tear during his rookie season in 2014-'15 and played just 25 games that season. He made a strong recovery and played in 76 games in 2015-'16 and in 51 games this season. The soon-to-be 22-year-old had made a major improvement in his third NBA season as he averaged 20.1 points and 6.1 rebounds while shooting 49%.

"It's going to be fun, to tell you the truth," Parker said of his recovery program. "I love challenges. I love being in the position I am. I didn't really feel like talking, but I feel like God has given me this for a reason because he knows I can handle it.

"So I take that burden, because I know a lot of people can't go through this."

Parker said he believes he can surpass the form he showed this season.

"I don't want to be the same player," Parker said. "I wouldn't be myself if I don't challenge myself to do better things, bigger things.

"I know I can be better."

Parker is still on crutches and not walking on his own, but he said he anticipates working again with Suki Hobson, the Bucks' head strength and rehab specialist.

In the first rehab program, Hobson and Parker climbed mountains in Peru. He said they will find a comparable challenge this time.

"Something extreme, towards that realm," Parker said. "Hiking up those mountains was a challenge. We're going to do something like that, have fun."

Parker said he hopes to be able to play 40 or 50 games next season, if possible. The Bucks established a timetable with a 12-month recovery, but it's far too early to tell when he will actually return.

The Bucks presented Parker with a huge get-well card signed by more than 4,000 fans. Parker also has received support from former Bucks guard Michael Redd, who went through two ACL surgeries on the same knee, and from his teammates.

Bucks guard Tony Snell several times has started interviews by talking about Parker and asking people to pray for his strong recovery.

"That's a friend of mine," Parker said. "It's a friendship I have way before the business environment. That's my friend and he's got my back."

Snell said he and Parker have a close relationship.

"I talk to him all the time and I tell him to keep his head up, and I just pray for him," Snell said. "He's part of the team. He goes down; we all go down.

"It's very hard. You never want to see a player go down, especially one of your brothers you are close with. Being there for a person, it's like life. You've got somebody to talk to and lift you up, and that's what he needs."

Parker said he will continue to focus on social issues even while recovering from his injury. Former Bucks great Kareem Abdul-Jabbar praised Parker for his activism when Abdul-Jabbar visited Milwaukee recently.

"There's never any doubt in my mind," Parker said. "There is nothing that can hold me back from helping out my people.

"I appreciate Kareem; that's a role model of mine. Not only for the basketball player he was but for the things he represents. Most importantly, he's an Islamic man and he's driven by faith, just like myself."

Parker was on the floor with Khris Middleton for just a few minutes before being hurt against the Heat. Middleton was coming back after missing the first 50 games of the season, and it seemed a cruel blow that Middleton, Parker and Giannis Antetokounmpo did not get a chance to play together.

"I didn't even think about it," Parker said. "It will be great to be back with those guys, and playing with John (Henson), Moose (Greg Monroe). I loved playing with Beas (Michael Beasley) and Tony (Snell), because I'm still young."

Parker did not divulge details of the surgery, but he chose knee specialist Robert LaPrade of the Steadman Clinic in Vail for the second surgery. David Altchek, the New York Mets team doctor, did the first ACL surgery in January 2015.

"I just think that a new environment will help me mentally, so that's why I went (to Colorado)," Parker said. "I had a lot of support. My brother was there. My mom was there. My sister-in-law was there."

Bucks coach Jason Kidd said the organization will do everything it can to help Parker.

"He's been through it once, and when you hear him speak and say he's going to come back better, that's the start of the process," Kidd said. "We look forward to him getting back and being stronger.

"You saw his game. He was starting to raise the bar again. It's tough. We understand we can't replace Jabari, but we've got to get multiple guys to help out."

Parker stayed around the team during his first rehab and sat in on coaches' meetings, something Kidd also did with Middleton during his recovery process.

"We've got the blueprint; it worked the first time," Kidd said. "We'll keep him a part of the team. He's early in the process of recovering from the surgery. Once he's cleared to be around the guys and he's off his crutches — so he's not in harm's way — we'll get him back with the guys."