Bobby Ray Parks Jr.

Bobby Ray Barbosa Parks Jr. (born February 19, 1993) is a Filipino-American professional basketball player for Nagoya Diamond Dolphins of the Japanese B.League. A 6'4" guard, he played college basketball for the NU Bulldogs for three years before declaring for the NBA draft in 2015 where he went undrafted.[1]

In this Philippine name, the middle name or maternal family name is Barbosa and the surname or paternal family name is Parks.
Bobby Ray Parks Jr.
Parks in 2019
No. 1 – Nagoya Diamond Dolphins
PositionPoint guard / shooting guard
LeagueB.League
Personal information
Born (1993-02-19) February 19, 1993
Parañaque, Philippines
NationalityFilipino / American
Listed height6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)
Listed weight215 lb (98 kg)
Career information
High school
CollegeNational University (2011–2013)
NBA draft2015: undrafted
PBA draft2018: 1st round, 2nd overall pick
Selected by the Blackwater Elite
Playing career2015–present
Career history
2015–2016Texas Legends
2016–2019San Miguel Alab Pilipinas
2018Mandaluyong El Tigre
2019Blackwater Elite
2019–2020TNT Tropang Giga
2021–presentNagoya Diamond Dolphins
Career highlights and awards
Medals
Men's basketball
Representing  Philippines
Southeast Asian Games
Gold medal – first place2011 JakartaTeam
Gold medal – first place2013 NaypyidawTeam
Gold medal – first place2017 Kuala LumpurTeam
SEABA Championship
Gold medal – first place2015 SingaporeTeam

Early life and high school career

Parks was born in Parañaque, Metro Manila to Bobby Parks Sr. and Marifer Celine Barbosa. His father was playing basketball in the Philippines.[2] Parks Sr. had been drafted 58th overall in the third round of the 1984 NBA draft and went on to become a seven-time Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) Best Import awardee and Hall of Famer. Parks Sr. and Barbosa separated. Barbosa moved to Los Angeles in 2003, while Parks Sr. left for Memphis, Tennessee, in 2005. Parks and his younger sister, Celine, remained in the Philippines until 2006, when his sister went to live with their mother, while he went to live with his father and his stepfamily, who were also Filipino.[2]

After moving to Memphis, Parks started playing organized basketball at the age of 13. As a freshman and sophomore, he attended St. George's Independent School in Collierville, Tennessee, where he was named Tennessee's Division II-A Mr. Basketball as the state's private school player of the year in 2009.[2][3]

Parks transferred to Melrose High School for the 2009–10 season and helped his team win a class AAA state championship. In November 2010, he committed to Georgia Tech as the No. 31-ranked shooting guard in the class of 2011, but later decommitted and followed his father back to the Philippines.[4]

US college sports recruiting information for high school athletes
Name Hometown High school / college Height Weight Commit date
Bobby Parks Jr.
SG		 Memphis, Tennessee Melrose High School 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) 195 lb (88 kg) Nov 22, 2010 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout: N/A   Rivals:3/5 stars   247Sports:3/5 stars    ESPN:4/5 stars   ESPN grade: 92
Overall recruiting rankings:
  • Note: In many cases, Scout, Rivals, 247Sports, and ESPN may conflict in their listings of height and weight.
  • In these cases, the average was taken. ESPN grades are on a 100-point scale.

Sources:

  • "2011 Georgia Tech Player Commits". ESPN.com. Retrieved August 30, 2017.
  • "2011 Team Ranking". Rivals.com. Retrieved August 30, 2017.

College career

In September 2010, Parks enrolled in information technology at National University in Manila with the hopes of playing for the NU Bulldogs in 2011.[5] Since Parks came from a foreign high school, he had to sit out one year before the 2011 season, which prevented him from winning Rookie of the Year as UAAP rules only allow for true freshmen to win the award.[6] Needless to say, he still qualified for the MVP award, which he eventually won during his first University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) season with the Bulldogs, as Parks averaged 20.0 points, 6.5 rebounds, 2.9 assists, 1.1 blocks and 1.1 steals per game and was named the Most Valuable Player of seasons 74 and 75.[2]

Professional career

In 2015, Parks was in pursuit of being the first Filipino-born player to play in the NBA. He became automatically eligible for the 2015 NBA draft as an international player who turned 22 during the calendar year of the draft.[7] In June 2015, prior to the 2015 NBA draft, Parks was invited to work out for the Utah Jazz, Brooklyn Nets, Dallas Mavericks, Atlanta Hawks and Boston Celtics.[8]

Parks went undrafted, but received an invitation from the Dallas Mavericks to play for their Summer League team.[9][10] In six games for Dallas, he averaged 3.0 points and 1.7 rebounds per game,[11] becoming the first Filipino-born player to play in the Summer League.[2]

NBA D-League

On October 31, 2015, Parks was selected by the Texas Legends in the second round of the 2015 NBA Development League Draft.[12][13] He became the second Filipino to be drafted in the NBA D-League after Japeth Aguilar in 2012.[14]

Parks made his debut with the Legends on November 23, 2015, against the Austin Spurs. He went scoreless in 10 minutes of play and went 0-of-2 from the field.[15] On December 13, 2015, he scored his first basket for the Legends. Parks' putback layup with 14.5 seconds remaining gave him his first-ever basket in the D-League. He also finished with one assist and three rebounds in six minutes of action against the Sioux Falls Skyforce.[16] On April 1, 2016, he scored a career-high 16 points against the Oklahoma City Blue.[17] In 2015–16, Parks averaged 4.6 points and 1.9 rebounds in 32 games.[18]

After the Legends did not retain Parks for the 2016–17 season, he entered the 2016 NBA Development League Draft, where he was selected in the sixth round by the Westchester Knicks.[19] He was unsuccessful in gaining an opening-night roster spot with Westchester, as the team waived him on November 9, 2016.[20][21]

ASEAN Basketball League

On November 18, 2016, Parks officially joined Alab Pilipinas of the ASEAN Basketball League (ABL).[22] On December 11, 2016, he scored a career-high 41 points and 14 rebounds against the Kaohsiung Truth.[23] After his first season with Alab Pilipinas, he was named the local MVP of the season.[24]

MPBL

After his stint the ABL, Parks joined the Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League (MPBL), an amateur regional league in the Philippines which imposes a cap on imports, including Filipinos with foreign heritage like himself. He was signed in by Mandaluyong El Tigre in May 2018.[25][26]

Blackwater Elite

Parks entered the 2018 PBA draft where he was selected by Blackwater Elite. He was the second overall pick for that draft.[27]

TNT Tropang Giga

Parks was traded to the TNT Tropang Giga from Blackwater Elite in November 2019 in the middle of the 2019 PBA Governors' Cup.[27] With TNT, Parks had his first semifinal run only for his team to lose to eventual finalist Meralco Bolts. After the conclusion of the 2019 season, he signed a new one-year deal with TNT in February 2020.[28] In the Philippine Cup, which was the lone conference for the 2020 season, Parks helped TNT to its first "All-Filipino" finals in seven years only losing to eventual champions Barangay Ginebra San Miguel.[29]

Parks contract with TNT expired after the 2020 season. In March 2021, Parks announced that he would not feature in the PBA for the 2021 season citing personal reasons to tend to his family.[29] However the move risked a fallout between Parks and TNT with team owner and PLDT chairman Manny V. Pangilinan to express his doubts on Parks reason for sitting out the 2021 season through social media posting a photo of him having a vacation in La Union.[30] While Parks is a free agent, TNT still hold the signing rights to him; he would only be able to play for another PBA team if TNT release him without pre-conditions or trade him.[31]

TNT and the PBA allowed Parks to play in Japan in July 2021 but TNT would have exclusive rights to re-sign him if he decides to return to the PBA within five years.[32][33]

Nagoya Diamond Dolphins

On August 24, 2021, Parks signed with the Nagoya Diamond Dolphins of Japan's B. League as the team's Asian import.[34] On May 28, 2022, Parks signed a one-year contract extension with the team.[35] On June 9, 2023, he signed another contract extension with the team.[36]

National team career

In 2015, Parks played for Gilas Cadets at the SEABA championships and the Southeast Asian Games.[37]

In July 2016, Parks played for Gilas Pilipinas at the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament in Manila.[38]

Parks was part of the team that represented the Philippines in the 2017 Southeast Asian Games.[39] They won the gold medal after beating Indonesia 94–55, winning his 3rd SEA Games Gold medal in the process.[40]

Five years later, Parks returned to the national team for the 2022 FIBA Asia Cup.[41] The team failed to make the quarterfinals of that tournament.[42]

Parks was included in the 21-man pool for the 2023 FIBA World Cup.[43] However, he was not included in the 12-man final roster.[44]

Career statistics
Legend
  GP Games played   GS Games started  MPG  Minutes per game
 FG%  Field-goal percentage  3P%  3-point field-goal percentage  FT%  Free-throw percentage
 RPG  Rebounds per game  APG  Assists per game  SPG  Steals per game
 BPG  Blocks per game  PPG  Points per game  Bold  Career high

UAAP
Year Team GP MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
2011-12 NU 1333.4.433.306.7836.52.91.21.120.8
2012-13 1534.0.391.267.7737.44.41.51.220.7
2013-14 1631.8.364.257.7328.13.71.31.117.8
Career 4433.0.392.275.7637.43.71.31.119.7

[45]

NBA G League
Year Team GP MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
2015–16 Texas Legends 3213.3.426.194.6601.9.8.6.14.6
Career 3213.3.426.194.6601.9.8.6.14.6

[46]

ASEAN Basketball League
Year Team GP MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
2016–17 Alab 2130.2.456.419.8087.24.1.9.718.3
2017–18 Alab 2931.8.462.356.7335.23.51.3.716.7
2018–19 Alab 2529.8.513.407.7714.23.3.8.415.8
Career 7530.7.475.388.7715.43.61.0.616.9

[47]

Philippine Basketball Association

As of the end of 2020 season

Year Team GP MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
2019 Blackwater 3237.3.398.332.7616.33.51.4.318.8
TNT
2020 TNT 1739.7.492.458.8457.83.11.5.422.4
Career 4938.1.429.378.7906.93.41.4.320.0

[48]

References
  1. "Ray Parks Jr. Signs Basketball Letter-of-Intent With Tech". Georgia Tech. November 22, 2010. Archived from the original on April 4, 2016.
  2. Bartholomew, Rafe (September 1, 2015). "Song for My Father". Grantland. Archived from the original on September 1, 2015.
  3. "Avant, Parks Chosen DII Mr. And Mrs. DII-A Basketball". Chattanoogan.com. February 28, 2009. Archived from the original on September 23, 2015.
  4. The mystery of Georgia Tech's lost recruit
  5. NU Bulldogs acquire Parks and son Ray
  6. "Passing the torch: Bobby Ray Parks - one name, two dominant players".
  7. Motus, Bobby (September 11, 2015). "Bobby Ray Parks Jr.'s NBA dream". The Freeman. Archived from the original on November 18, 2015.
  8. NBA draft hopeful Ray Parks caps schedule with workouts for Celtics, Mavs
  9. "Was Bobby Ray Parks bypassed by Mavericks in favor of Indian player? US agents think so". Spin.ph. June 26, 2015. Retrieved June 26, 2015.
  10. "Ray Parks to play for Dallas Mavericks in NBA summer league". gmanetwork.com. June 26, 2015. Retrieved June 26, 2015.
  11. "2015 Summer League Player Profile – Bobby Ray Parks Jr". NBA.com. Archived from the original on July 10, 2015. Retrieved September 2, 2015.
  12. "2015 NBA D-League Draft Board". NBA.com. October 31, 2015. Archived from the original on October 22, 2016. Retrieved November 8, 2015.
  13. "Legends Select Five Players in 2015 NBA Development League Draft". OurSportsCentral.com. October 31, 2015. Retrieved November 8, 2015.
  14. Almo, Alder (November 1, 2015). "Texas Legends select Bobby Ray Parks Jr. as 25th overall pick". The Philippine Star. Archived from the original on November 5, 2015.
  15. "Ray Parks scoreless in NBA D-League debut". InterAksyon.com. November 14, 2015. Archived from the original on December 18, 2015. Retrieved December 15, 2015.
  16. "Ray Parks finally scores first basket in NBA D-League stint". InterAksyon.com. December 14, 2015. Archived from the original on December 19, 2015. Retrieved December 15, 2015.
  17. "Ray Parks scores career-high 16 points in NBA D-League". Archived from the original on November 4, 2016. Retrieved November 3, 2016.
  18. Bobby Ray Parks D-League Stats
  19. "Westchester Knicks Select Five Players in 2016 NBA D-League Draft". NBA.com. October 30, 2016. Retrieved November 2, 2016.
  20. "Westchester Knicks". NBA.com. November 10, 2016. Retrieved November 13, 2016.
  21. Sykioco, Leif (November 10, 2016). "Parks dropped from NBA D-League team". philstar.com. Retrieved November 10, 2016.
  22. Terrado, Reuben (November 18, 2016). "It's official: Bobby Ray Parks will play for Philippine side Alab in ABL". Sports Interactive Network Philippines. Retrieved November 19, 2016.
  23. Terrado, Reuben. "Bobby Ray Parks explodes for 41 points as Alab asserts mastery of Kaohsiung".
  24. Terrado, Reuben (April 23, 2017). "Alab Pilipinas star Bobby Ray Parks named ABL MVP". Sports Interactive Network Philippines. Retrieved May 8, 2017.
  25. "MPBL: Ray Parks, sigurado na sa Mandaluyong El Tigre". ABS-CBN News. May 23, 2018. Retrieved March 8, 2021.
  26. "'They don't want me in this league,' says Ray Parks after MPBL debut". Rappler. June 13, 2018. Retrieved March 8, 2021.
  27. Lozada, Bong (November 3, 2019). "PBA approves Ray Parks trade to TNT". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Retrieved March 8, 2021.
  28. "Ray Parks signs one-year deal with TNT". Tiebreaker Times. February 17, 2020. Retrieved March 8, 2021.
  29. Bacnis, Justine (March 6, 2021). "Ray Parks to sit out PBA Season 46 due to 'family reasons'". Tiebreaker Times. Retrieved March 8, 2021.
  30. "MVP skeptical about Parks' leave of absence". ESPN.com. March 6, 2021. Retrieved March 8, 2021.
  31. "Can free-agent Ray Parks sign with other PBA teams or head overseas?". Spin.ph. March 8, 2021. Retrieved March 8, 2021.
  32. "TNT Tropang Giga release Ray Parks, Jr". ESPN.com. July 23, 2021. Retrieved August 24, 2021.
  33. "PBA allows Kiefer Ravena, Ray Parks to play in Japan". ESPN.com. July 24, 2021. Retrieved August 24, 2021.
  34. Leongson, Randolph (August 24, 2021). "It's official: Ray Parks playing in Japan league with Nagoya Diamond Dolphins". Sports Interactive Network Philippines. Retrieved August 24, 2021.
  35. Villanueva, Eros (May 28, 2022). "Ray Parks signs one-year extension with Nagoya". Tiebreaker Times. Retrieved May 29, 2022.
  36. "B.League: Ray Parks extends contract with Nagoya". news.abs-cbn.com. June 9, 2022. Retrieved June 9, 2022.
  37. "Kiefer Ravena, Ray Parks lead 16-man Gilas pool for SEABA, SEA Games". Archived from the original on June 26, 2015. Retrieved June 26, 2015.
  38. Ray Parks excited to join Gilas in Olympic qualifier
  39. "Paras, Parks, Ravena lead Gilas lineup for 2017 SEA Games". June 28, 2017.
  40. "GOLD STANDARD: Gilas Pilipinas crushes Indonesia for SEA Games title". abs-cbn.com. August 26, 2017. Retrieved August 28, 2017.
  41. Agcaoili, Lance (July 9, 2022). "Thirdy Ravena, Ray Parks make Gilas return for Fiba Asia Cup". INQUIRER.net. Retrieved July 20, 2022.
  42. Leongson, Randolph B. (July 19, 2022). "Parks insists Gilas played its best despite 9th-place Asia Cup finish". Spin.ph. Retrieved July 20, 2022.
  43. Terrado, Reuben (June 6, 2023). "Clarkson, Brownlee, Kouame head 21-man Gilas pool for World Cup". spin.ph. Retrieved September 9, 2023.
  44. Ventura, Sid (August 23, 2023). "Gilas Pilipinas confirm final 12 for FIBA World Cup". ESPN.com. Retrieved September 9, 2023.
  45. "Bobby Ray Parks Player Profile :: PBA-Online!". Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved July 20, 2022.
  46. "G League Statistics". Real GM.
  47. "ABL Statistics". Asean Basketball League.
  48. "PBA Statistics". Real GM.
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