When Simeon (Chicago) senior forward and elite recruit Jabari Parker pulled a Duke basketball shirt from a bag and announced that he was headed to Durham in the fall of 2013 on Thursday, Blue Devils fans rejoiced.
Others, including fans of the four other schools Parker was considering -- BYU, Florida, Michigan State and Stanford -- were left feeling spurned, disappointed and angry, and they didn't hesitate to let Parker know it on Twitter.
"I think I'm getting more tweets," Parker said Friday on "The Waddle & Silvy Show" on ESPN 1000. "Fans are just now giving me a hard time. They sometimes just forget I'm a kid. Real hateful stuff. It's no problem, though. I know it comes with the territory, and it's just going to make me stronger."
MORE: Positive Twitter reaction, too
Indeed, several of the tweets directed at Parker (@JabariParker22) were profane. The 6-foot-8 American Family Insurance ALL-USA selection took the high road with this tweet late last night:
Trying to grow up fast. Act with a lot of class. I want to be respectful ALL the time. Sometimes people forget I'm 17#strivingforcharacter
— Jabari Parker (@JabariParker22) December 21, 2012
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