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SALT LAKE CITY — The latest national media to spotlight Mormon high school basketball star Jabari Parker is ABC's Katie Couric.
Couric sat down with Parker and discussed his LDS faith, among other things, for Good Morning America in an interview that aired this morning.
Couric pointed out that Parker chose to stay close to home on the south side of Chicago to go to Simeon Career Academy, what she calls "a tough school in a tough neighborhood." He's led his team to three state championships, has a 3.7 GPA, and credits his membership in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints with keeping him grounded and focused.
"You're a Mormon. Do people think that's weird?" Couric asked him.
"Yeah they do," he answered. "Once they think of Mormonism, they will look at a white guy. But it's worldwide."
He admits he's had the opportunity to explain his religion a lot to people.
"Why do you think there are so many misconceptions about Mormonism?" Couric asked.
"Because it's not very popular," he answered. "But the church is growing in so many ways."
If Jabari ends up in the NBA he would be the first African-American Mormon drafted into the league.
He faces what Couric calls a $20-million question, whether he will serve a church mission at age 19. That would be right around the point he's eligible to enter the NBA draft and sign a potentially huge contract.
Parker's mother, Lola, told Couric, "We have left that to Jabari to decide for himself. We've encouraged him to be a good person and that's all we can hope for."
Parker was featured earlier this year on the cover of Sports Illustrated, which called him the best high school player since LeBron James.
In the Deseret News, Jeff Benedict - author of the Sports Illustrate feature on Parker - says Sports Illustrated and ABC collaborated on the story.
Benedict says he shared his story with Couric before it was published, then Couric interviewed Parker last month at the LDS meetinghouse adjacent to the Manhattan Temple.
"Representatives from ABC, Sports Illustrated and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints looked on as Parker answered Couric's questions about his religious beliefs, his basketball ambitions, his thoughts on missionary service and his experience growing up as an African-American Mormon in Chicago," Benedict writes.
