The silent assassins

For 12 years, Bobby Parks roamed the PBA courts like a sheriff in the Wild West, upholding the rule of law with a basketball simulating a six-shooter. He was a seven-time Best Import awardee and a three-time PBA champion. Parks wound up his PBA career in 1999 and 10 years later, was inducted into the league’s Hall of Fame.

A player who jousted with Parks was another import legend Sean Chambers, an Alaska fixture from 1989 to 2001. Chambers described Parks as a silent assassin. And now that Chambers is up close and personal with Gilas as an assistant coach, he’s found someone else to call a silent assassin – Justin Brownlee. Coincidentally, Chambers and Brownlee jointly hold the record for most PBA championships by an import at six.

“Bobby and Justin, they’re like silent assassins,” he said. “Very quiet, extremely humble individuals. Justin fits in with all the players on a social level and personality trait and his basketball skill levels are incredible. There’s nothing he can’t do. I think his passing skills are completely underrated, he’s a tremendous passer. The guy sees the court better than anyone out there. Justin reminds me so much of Bobby but bigger.”

Chambers, 59, never imagined to be in Gilas coach Tim Cone’s staff. A former Dean of students at a Sacramento middle school, he returned to Manila last year to work on player development with TNT on a two-week engagement and a few months back, accepted the job as FEU head coach. In his first coaching assignment, Chambers piloted the Tamaraws to third place in the FilOil EcoOil preseason tournament.

When Cone asked if he could join Gilas, Chambers reached out to FEU and Alaska Milk chairman Fred Uytengsu for advice. “I thank FEU management for giving me their blessing,” he said. “FEU has been amazing. I’m so proud of my team and the effort all the players are putting forward to represent the university. I had lunch with Mr. Uytengsu and his wife Kerri and they both gave me their blessing. They went out of their way to have lunch with me. Apparently, I did something right when I was in the PBA. It’s a tremendous opportunity for me after having an amazing career, playing the game in the Philippines and always doing things the right way.”