Bobby Ray Parks, Jr. made it clear that his focus remains solely on San Miguel Alab Pilipinas in the ongoing 9th ASEAN Basketball League, despite the many rumors regarding his status in the Philippine Basketball Association.
Rumors broke out just recently that Parks, Jr. – the second overall pick of the 2018 Rookie Draft by the Blackwater Elite – will be shipped away via a three-team deal involving MVP teams TNT KaTropa and Meralco Bolts.
“Focus pa rin ako sa Alab … Pero as of now I’m just focused on Alab,” said the reigning ABL Local Most Valuable Player. “I appreciate Blackwater for drafting me at number two. But like I said, I’m just focused on my stint with Alab.
“Tatapusin ko muna itong Alab Pilipinas.”
Parks, Jr. is aware of all the hullabaloo surrounding him. He is clearly excited that he has finally been drafted in the Filipino pro league, but he hopes that he’ll have a “sense of security” soon.
“Sa wakas tapos na mga tanong. Sawa na ‘ko sa, ‘Parks, kailan ka magpapa-draft?’ O ayan, nagpa-draft na ‘ko!” said the 25-year-old with a chuckle. “Blessing naman. Next chapter in my life, so I’m excited.
“But at the same time, gusto ko lang din malaman kung saan ako pupunta at the end of the day. Sense of security. Pero as of now I’m loyal to the team that drafted me. I’m loyal to the team who has my rights,” the second generation cager added.
“And we’ll just go from there.”
Still, Parks, Jr. remains committed to the third-year ball club. And he’s happy with the way they’re playing; San Miguel Alab just won its third win in as many games on Friday night, with its 86-72 conquest of the Formosa Dreamers.
The reigning champions erased a four-point deficit early in the final frame; then finished the match with an overwhelming 21-3 scoring spree behind Parks, Jr., Renaldo Balkman, PJ Ramos, Pao Javelona, and Caelan Tiongson.
“We’re young, we’re growing, we’re learning. Each game talaga is a testament of the growth. We need to go through this in order to make it all the way towards the end and to make it towards our goal,” he said.
“I know that each game will be a learning curve for us, so bear with us. But at the end of the day we pulled a win and that’s what matters. It’s not gonna be pretty every time. It was an ugly win but we got it.”
