Photo from ASEAN Basketball League
STA. ROSA — Helping San Miguel Alab Pilipinas reach the 2018 ASEAN Basketball League Finals, Bobby Ray Parks Jr. has a chance to complete his late father’s unfinished business.
“To be honest, his last mark was in the ABL and I was thinking about that even before all of this,” he said after the Philippine side swept defending champion Hong Kong Eastern, 79-72, in Game 2 of the semifinals on Sunday.
“Definitely. It’s unfinished business, for sure.”
Parks Sr. was the first coach of the San Miguel Beermen franchise in the ABL back in 2012, steering the team to the championship round before losing to Indonesia in three grueling games.
He wasn’t able to complete his mission the next season and eventually, lost his battle to lung cancer in March 2013.
Those memories linger in the mind of Parks Jr., which makes this victory all the more sweeter as he inches closer to accomplishing the feat in honor of his father.
“That’s why for me, I wanted to do the ABL first before I step into the PBA or whatever God has planned for me. Of course, to win the championship is definitely the goal, winning the championship for him is great. And to be part of the same family: San Miguel, it’s definitely a blessing,” he said.
Parks, who is the reigning ABL Local MVP, is confident that he and San Miguel Alab Pilipinas can get the job done as it awaits its Finals date between Mono Vampire and Chong Son Kung Fu.
“You know, we’re out here with a great group of guys who are trying to handle business right now. And we’re here now, so we might as well take advantage,” he said.