Jabari Parker Compares Himself to Carmelo Anthony and Disses NY Knicks Roster

Jabari Parker is just fine with being the next Carmelo Anthony, but he's not so keen on the All-Star small forward's New York Knicks teammates.

In an interview on The Dan Patrick Show, Parker discussed everything from the difficulty of his decision to leave Duke to a hypothetical "two-and-done" rule that would keep collegiate players from entering the NBA until after their sophomore seasons—something Parker termed "ridiculous."

But things got interesting when Patrick asked Parker which NBA player he most resembled. The following exchange ensued (via USA Today's For the Win):

"

Parker: "A lot of people say Carmelo Anthony. I take a lot of my moves after him and..."

Patrick: "But you pass, though, don't you?"

Parker: "Yeah, I pass. But I have a team."

Patrick: "So, 'Melo doesn't have a team?"

Parker: "Yeah, I don't really think so."

"

Look out, Knicks; those qualify as shots fired. You know, like the errant shots J.R. Smith and Raymond Felton routinely chucked up—the kind that would make any sane star (Anthony included) think twice about giving up the rock.

Rocky Widner/Getty Images

To be fair to Parker, Patrick was clearly doing a little sound-bite fishing here. The soon-to-be lottery pick couldn't have been more polite and certainly wouldn't have taken a small shot at the Knicks without a little prodding from Patrick.

When asked if he'd be satisfied with a career that resembled Anthony's, Parker responded: "I'd be satisfied with that, yeah. Great career."

It's hard to fault him there. As Steve Greenberg of the Chicago Sun-Times pointed out, there are worse guys to resemble than 'Melo:

"

Eleven seasons for Anthony so far. No major injuries. More than $130 million earned from the Nuggets and Knicks alone, with every reason to believe he’ll come close to doubling that over the next five years. The sixth-highest endorsement haul in the sport, according to Forbes — $9 million — in 2013. Seven All-Star Games and one scoring title. Only three playoff series victories, but who’s counting?

"

Parker has a long road ahead of him, but his combination of size and scoring skill makes the Anthony comparison an intriguing one.

He'd better be careful about taking shots at supporting casts, though. Depending on where he goes in the draft, Parker may find himself without much in the way of helpful teammates.

You know, just like 'Melo.