MANILA, Philippines – It’s now close to a year and a half since two-time UAAP MVP Bobby Ray Parks Jr. played his final collegiate basketball game in the Philippines, but the former NU Bulldogs superstar has yet to declare for the Philippine Basketball Association Draft.
Many anticipated Parks to declare for the 2014 PBA Draft, with some assuming he would go in the top three thanks to his mix of athleticism, shooting, and overall talent.
But Parks, who still has dreams of making it to the National Basketball Association (NBA), opted to train in the United States in the summer of 2014 rather than preparing for the PBA Draft.
Now that he’s back – and suiting up in the 2015 PBA D-League Aspirants Cup with Hapee – a number of analysts and team officials expect Parks will finally take the leap to the pros in a few months.
But in an interview with the media on Thursday, February 5, Parks made it clear that he is far from deciding whether or not to declare for the draft in August.
“As of now, I mean, I’m focused in on the D-League,” said Parks, whose club won game one of their semifinal series against Cafe France, 74-58, on Thursday, even as he scored just 9 points on 1-of-6 shooting. “And after that, we’ll see where it goes. I have to talk to my manager Charlie Dy and discuss some things.”
Parks might have been noncommittal in discussing his potential future in the PBA, but was pretty clear about his mission with Hapee in the D-League, where they’ve lost only one game this conference – against Cagayan Valley, who are also in the semis.
“It’s a blessing. I’d rather lose now than lose later,” said Parks, who mentioned that the defeat served as a “wake-up call” that inspired his team to play more physical in practice sessions.
“We were playing very physical and we were trying to adjust to how Cagayan plays us and how the D-League calls the games,” he said. “It was a good wake-up call. It was a blessing.”
The result of their intensified training translated to the basketball court. After trailing 16-12 during the first period, Hapee went on a 21-7 run that let them establish a 10-point lead, 33-23. Their team never let go of the momentum for the rest of the game en route to a 16-point victory.
But head coach Ronnie Magsanoc should be concerned about the injury suffered by Parks, whose history of hand troubles returned to bug him on Thursday. “Yeah, when I caught myself when I fell,” Parks tried to explain, as his shooting hand was wrapped in bandage. “It’s tough to shoot. It’s tough to handle a ball.”
“It usually happened throughout the years. It’s normal.”
Parks will consult with Hapee’s doctors over the next few days to determine if he can play in game two of their series with Cafe France on Monday, February 9.
If his injury is more serious than expected, it might be wise for the team to rest him considering they have a number of standouts who can make up for his absence: Chris Newsome, Kirk Long, Garvo Lanete, and Art Dela Cruz, to name a few.
Parks will also have to be completely healthy if he represents the Philippine national basketball team in the 25th Southeast Asian Games scheduled from June 5-16, 2015 in Singapore.
In a recent interview with the media, new Gilas head coach Tab Baldwin said he’s been impressed by a number of PBA D-League standouts, but took the time to especially point out two prospects: Parks and Moala Tautuaa, the top overall pick of the latest D-League draft.
Many pundits expect that Parks will be part of the Philippine roster that will travel to Singapore for this year’s SEA Games. He was included in the team that flew to the 2013 Southeast Asian Games in Myanmar, where the Philippines went a perfect 6-0 and won gold.
“It’s definitely a privilege to play [in] the SEA Games and at the same time, I really appreciate them for appreciating the hard work that we put in,” Parks said. “What’s better than representing the country?”
Parks also said that, “as long as [my] schedule allows,” he will play for Gilas in this year’s SEA Games, if given the chance. – Rappler.com
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