MANILA, Philippines - Bobby Ray Parks, in the eyes of coach Tim Cone, is getting better each day.
“The more and more he played, the more and more he believed in himself. His confidence is growing,” said Cone yesterday at the SMC headquarters in Ortigas.
“It shows in him,” he said.
The newly installed Ginebra coach was in the US earlier this month, scouting the NBA summer league for potential imports.
Cone ended up watching Parks, son of the late Bobby Parks, the great PBA import who considered the Philippines second home.
“I talked to him a lot,” said Cone, referring to the 22-year-old Bobby Ray, who saw action for Dallas Mavericks in the just concluded NBA Summer League.
Bobby Ray, who’s hoping to make it to the NBA, had some shining moments on the floor with the Mavericks.
Cone said from the summer league, the son of the legendary PBA import should stay on and try his luck in the NBA D-League.
But this early, Cone wants to remind Bobby Ray that D-League life is not a bed of roses.
“The closest you‘ll be in the NBA is the D-League you got to get there. But D-League is a tough life,” said Cone, who’s had the best of PBA imports under his wings.
“You talk to the imports, they have one year in the D-League and no more. They’d rather play overseas. Money is small in the D-League, travel is really hard and the hotels are bad. It’s a tough life,” he said.
While in the US, the Ginebra coach watched Bobby Ray prove his worth in the summer league, guarding players like D’Angelo Russel and Jordan Clarkson of the LA Lakers and making some shots.
Cone said the more Bobby Ray played defense, the more he got noticed by the coaches.
Bobby Ray is weighing his options and hoping to get a call from any of the D-League teams soon and get himself drafted.
“Fight the war and be tough,” Cone said of Bobby Ray.
And the least that could happen is to come home and play in the PBA.
“Then take over your kingdom,” said Cone.