Kobe Paras officially joins UCLA Bruins

Filipino basketball star Kobe Paras. Tristan Tamayo/INQUIRER.net

Kobe Paras is officially a Bruin.

The 18-year-old standout has signed the letter of intent to attend University of California Los Angeles and play under coach Steve Alford.

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Paras has been a UCLA-commit for the past two years and this formalizes the start of his collegiate career in the US NCAA Division I.

“We’re always looking for players who’ve grown up immersed in basketball, and Kobe definitely fits that mold,” Alford said to the son of former PBA rookie MVP Benjie Paras in a statement.

The coach continued, “He just loves the game. To add a talented player like Kobe to our program is terrific. He’s a very athletic guard who plays with tremendous energy. We like how he can attack off the dribble and get to the rim in the open court, and we’re excited that he’ll be joining us in Westwood.”

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Aside from Paras, UCLA also nabbed 6-foot-10 Ike Anigbogu and 6-foot-5 Lonzo Ball in this year’s recruitment class.

The 6-foot-6 Philippine national youth team player expressed his elation with the milestone.

“Officially a Bruin. Wouldn’t be here today without my family @coachmiddlebrooks @EtopUdoEma @Compton_Magic Thank you for everything,” Paras posted on his Twitter account @Im_Not_Kobe.

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Under Alford, UCLA has been in the NCAA Sweet Sixteen in the past two years and won the 2014 Pac-12 championship behind reigning NBA slam dunk king Zach LaVine.