Jabari Bird is one of those players whose National Basketball Association journey saw them spend time honing their craft in the NBA G League. The former California Golden Bear, known for his aggressive offensive play as well as his ability to inflict damage in tough situations and in transition, will look to build on last season’s stats to impress his employers in his first full season in the NBA..
Who is Jabari Bird?
On July 3, 1994, Jabari Bird was welcomed into the world by his parents; Carl and Tonya Bird. As a young boy, Bird’s parents exposed him to baseball, football and basketball, a sport close to his father’s heart. Despite his father’s great love for basketball, he said he let his son choose one he liked more, which happened.
Bird first attended Benicia High School for a year before transferring to Salesian High School. At that time, the high schooler was already 6 feet 3 inches tall, a stat that gave him an edge over his peers and opponents. During his three years at Salesian, Bird helped the school reach a 100-8 record as well as the Division IV state championship in 2012. His performances later earned him a selection to Team McDonald’s. All-American and caught the attention of coaches at the Power-5 conference as dozens of recruiting letters flooded the Bird family’s mailbox.
Jabari Bird eventually settled down to attend the University of California, Berkely, having previously considered going to Oregon, Washington, or Colorado. He chose to stay close to home so his parents would watch his games and cheer him on. As a freshman, he appeared in 31 games averaging 8.3 points and 2.0 rebounds per game. Due to injuries, Bird only played 23 games in his sophomore year. However, he averaged 10.5 points and 3.3 rebounds per game. His junior year saw him play 33 games averaging 10.4 points and 3.3 rebounds per game.
In his final college season, Bird averaged 14.3 points and 4.7 rebounds per game, after which he was selected by the Boston Celtics as the 56th pick in the 2017 NBA draft. About two months later Upon his election, Bird signed a two-way contract with the team, meaning he would spend a lot of time playing for the G-League affiliate as well.
Jabari Bird made his professional debut for the Celtics on October 20, 2017 in a regular season game against the Philadelphia 76ers. He then played 13 games, averaging 3 points and 1.5 rebounds per game. With the G-League team, however, he played 20 games, totaling 19.3 points and 5.8 rebounds per game, earning him a spot on the NBA Middle League East League team.
Here’s everything you need to know about Jabari Bird
Contract and salary
In July 2018, Jabari Bird signed on the dotted lines to a two-year NBA standard $2 million contract with the Boston Celtics. According to various insider reports, Bird, who split his playing time last season with the Celtics and Maine Red Claws – their G-League affiliate, is guaranteed the first year of his contract. When the contract expires in 2020, the player will become a restricted free agent, as he still wouldn’t have played more than four years in the league.
Family – Parents
Jabari Bird is not the only member of his family who has played professional sports. He followed in his father’s footsteps who first attended the University of California, Berkley where he was a star in the mid-1970s before heading to the NBA.
Carl Bird played under legendary Bears head coach Dick Edwards. After averaging 15.2 points per game and being named co-MVP for the 1975–76 college season in college, he was selected by the Warriors in the fifth round of the 1976 NBA Draft. then made stays in the Philippines, Italy and Finland before finally qualifying his career day. Father Bird then returned to California to take a job at San Quentin State Prison while building his family. After his son was born, he set up a basketball court in his backyard where he and his son would start working on their skills in hopes of making it to the big leagues.
Body measurements
Jabari Bird’s height is 6 feet 6 inches, or 1.98 meters, which is two inches taller than the average height of a shooting guard in the NBA. His wingspan is also listed at 6 feet 8 inches while he is said to weigh 198 pounds or 90 kg.