MANILA, Philippines - Bobby Ray Parks Jr. made history yesterday after he suited up for the Texas Legends to become the first Filipino to ever play in the NBA Development League at the Cedar Park Center in Texas.
Parks, however, felt the jitters and finished scoreless after missing his two attempts in two minutes while committing two fouls and a turnover in an 81-106 defeat by the Dallas Mavericks’ D-League affilate to the Austin Toros.
Parks, left undrafted in the NBA rookie draft this year despite seeing action in the NBA pre-season for the Dallas Mavericks, made it to the 17-man training camp team of the Legends a few days after he was drafted 25th overall by the Legends.
He made a big impression during the training camp and got the nod of the team including coach Nick Van Exel and made the 10-man regular season roster.
For the record, Parks, son of former many-time PBA Best Import Bobby Sr. and a two-time MVP for National U in the UAAP, was the second Filipino to be drafted in the NBA’s farm league next to Japeth Aguilar, who was picked in the seventh round by the Santa Cruz Warriors three years ago.
Aguilar, however, didn’t make Santa Cruz’s main roster in the NBA D-League regular season and is now playing with the PBA’s Brgy. Ginebra Kings.
Parks is hoping to impress in the league and make it to the NBA via backdoor just like the Miami Heat’s Hassan Whiteside, the San Antonio Spurs’ Danny Green and the Charlotte Hornets’ Jeremy Lin, who have already made a name for themselves in the NBA.