Bobby Ray Parks, Jr. as told by a Parañaque lifer
“Sobrang galing pala niya ‘no?” said Jepoy Cruz, a Parañaque-lifer, as he watched Bobby Ray Parks Jr. drain his fifth triple of the first half last in Alab Pilipinas’ one-sided win over the Saigon Heat last Friday.
“Madalas ko kasi nakakalaro ‘yan dati. Siyempre ‘di naman siya go hard sa amin. Saktuhan lang,” Cruz recalled.
There are plenty of these stories about Parks Jr. — about a tall, Tagalog-speaking, African-Amercian dude who wears the fanciest shoes as he schools locals around Parañaque.
Parks lives in Fortunata Village, a quiet, gated village right in the middle of Parañaque. The village itself sports six covered courts within walking distance. The patrons of each court all claim that they have at one point played with the two-time UAAP MVP.
The 23-year-old confirms this. And up to this day — after playing for Gilas Pilipinas, in the NBA D-League, dominating the UAAP, and now for Alab Pilipinas in the ABL — Parks still enjoys shooting hoops with the neighborhood tambays.
“Oo. Hanggang ngayon, naglalaro pa ‘rin ako [sa amin],” the 6-foot-4 swingman told Tiebreaker Times.
“Enjoy kasi talaga maglaro. Iba ‘din kasi kapag kasama mo ‘yung mga kaibigan ko doon.”
No wonder Parks has transformed the small Olivarez Gymnasium in his hometown into his personal basketball church.
Last December, Parks lit up the Kaohsiung Truth with a league-scoring record for a local, 41 points. Last Friday, he drained a league-record eight trifectas en route to 35 points.
Parks, however, continues to play down his masterpieces in Parañaque.
“Homecourt siguro. Actually nga, first quarter pa lang masakit na ‘yung shoulder ko. Bumangga ako. Kaya shine-shake off ko lang siya. Hindi na din ako masyadong naka-dribble kaya puro tira na lang ako sa labas,” the Filipino-American said last Friday.
However Parks chooses to frame it, he has played his best games in Parañaque. And the people of his hometown love him for it.
