During his seven years of service to Gilas Pilipinas, Kobe Paras has dazzled in both 5-on-5 and 3×3.
The 6-foot-6 forward has won the slam dunk crowns in the FIBA 3X3 Under-18 competition. Meanwhile, in 5-on-5, cameras from fans are always out, ready to take a video of his next highlight.
Paras, now 23, wants to prove that he is more than just a dunk artist.
And he’ll do just that come the second window of the 2021 FIBA Asia Cup Qualifiers.
“I don’t want to be just the highlight player.
“I want to be the player who makes the pass for the highlight. I want to be the player who rebounds, who cheers from the bench. I want to be an all-around player,” he told SportsPage.
Having numerous international caps under the UP Fighting Maroon’s belt, Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas’ special assistant to the president Ryan Gregorio sees Paras as one of the leaders of the young team that will face Thailand on the 27th and the 30th in Manama, Bahrain.
Leading does not mean being on mixtapes.
The second generation cager hopes he can prove as much during the next four days.
“I don’t care if people notice me or not. I just want to play the right way,” continued the UAAP Season 82 Mythical Five team member.
Paras also hopes that Gilas can be a beacon of light for the country that has suffered too much already this year.
For 40 minutes on Friday and on Monday, he hopes that he and his teammates can bring joy and laughter to the Filipino people.
“This is for our countrymen. When they watch us, they enjoy the game. When we win, it’s not just us who win, it’s the whole country.”
