Jabari Parker Credits an Old Turtle As His Inspiration During His Offseason Injury Rehab

Jabari Parker claims that a turtle he befriended at a zoo was his knee-rehab inspiration.

Image via USATodaySports/James Brosher

After suffering a season-ending knee injury in the early part of the 2014-2015 NBA season, Jabari Parker used two symbols as inspiration for his recovery: his hair to represent his growth, and a turtle.

That's right— a slow-moving creature that calculates every single step it makes on earth. But it wasn't the slowness and patience that inspired Parker, an animal lover, to frequently visit this turtle named Onassis  at the Milwaukee County Zoo. Rather, it was the longevity of the turtle's life:


Today is Senior Celebration at the Zoo. Here's a pic of Onassis, the Zoo's Amazon River turtle that's 70-90 yrs old. pic.twitter.com/7l6BOQOJ2s

— Zoo Society MKE (@ZooSocietyMke) August 29, 2014

 

You can read the rest of the story about Parker's adorable, yet weird, affinity and friendship with this turtle here.

Send all complaints, compliments, and tips to sportstips@complex.com

[via OnMilwaukee]

 

Latest in Sports