Ray Parks dedicates the ABL championship to his late father Bobby Ray Sr. Photo from ASEAN Basketball League.
An emotional Ray Parks fought back tears as the final buzzer sounded last Wednesday night, signaling the completion of San Miguel Alab Pilipinas rise to the Asean Basketball League throne.
As he held his own miniature championship trophy at the press conference, Parks’ thoughts turned to his late father, Bobby Sr., who had coached the San Miguel Beermen to a second place finish in 2012.
“Dad, we did it,” said Parks, who was named Finals MVP after Alab overcame Mono Vampire of Thailand in five games including a 102-92 win in the title clincher at Santa Rosa Multi Purpose Complex in Santa Rosa, Laguna.
“I got emotional very early. I’m just thankful to Alab for the opportunity. I’m just thankful for my teammates and coaches for trusting me.”
Parks had struggled to meet expectations even though he had won two MVP awards in the UAAP while playing for National U. He failed to carry NU to the crown and also had a forgettable stint in the NBA D-League, before his agent, Charlie Dy, came calling in 2016 for him to return to the country to play for Alab.
“Everyone has been grilling me about not winning championships,” said Parks. “Give me an opportunity and I’ll make the most of it. Just being around these great players, it just allowed me to grow. I also learned from them. I was just put in an opportunity to just make the most of it. Just getting better as a player is everybody’s goal and to win a championship—to do both is great.”