MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine Under-18 team just got a big boost as teen slam dunk champion Kobe Paras committed to suit up for the squad in the Fiba Asia U18 from Aug. 19 to 28 in Doha, Qatar.
Based in Los Angeles for the past year, the 6-foot-6 Paras will return to the country on Aug. 1 to train with the young Nationals mentored by Jamike Jarin.
“The presence of Kobe brings a lot of athleticism to the team,” Jarin said of the 16-year-old Paras, the son of the PBA’s only rookie MVP Benjie. “He’s going to play multiple positions.”
Last year, Paras made waves on the world stage when he captured the slam dunk crown in the side event of the Fiba World Under-18 Championship in Jakarta.
Jarin said the late insertion of Paras isn’t a concern as he had been part of the youth team before he moved to the United States.
Paras was also a member of the PH 3×3 side that bagged the gold in the 2013 Fiba Asia and represented the region in the Fiba Worlds 3×3.
Paras will join the youth squad bannered by San Beda aces Ranbill Tongco and Joshua Andrei Caracut. Rounding out the team are Paul Desiderio, Jollo Go, Richard Escoto, Aaron Black, Mark Dyke, Manuel Mosqueda, Leonard Santillan and Dave Yu.