FIBA Asia dunk champion Kobe Paras draws inspiration from dad Benjie
MANILA, Philippines – Kobe Paras, son of the only PBA Rookie-MVP Benjie Paras, wiped out the gloom of the Philippine team’s ouster in the FIBA 3x3 U-18 World Championship in Jakarta, Indonesia by winning the slam dunk title.
The 15-year old Paras, whose first claim to worldwide fame was when his dunk over Miami Heat forward Lebron James during the NBA superstar’s Nike Witness Tour in Manila last July went viral on the internet, won the competition despite being the youngest and smallest in the finals.
(Below is the video of Kobe Paras dunking on LeBron James courtesy of youtube user HerculeanBreed)
The 6-4 Paras dunked over his teammate Thirdy Ravena, who was sitting on a motorcycle, in the finals to beat US bet Demonte Flannigan and Spain’s Antonio Morales.
(Below is the video of Kobe Paras' final dunk courtesy of youtube user iLabBasketbol)
On his way to the finals, the Filipino wunderkind impressed the judges and the crowd in attendance with an amazing reverse dunk off in-between-the-legs alley-oop to the backboard.
(Below is the video of that jaw-dropping reverse dunk courtesy of youtube user Maharani Cynthia)
(Below is another angle of that creative in-between-the legs alley-oop to the backboard reverse dunk courtesy of youtube user iLabBasketbol)
The win somehow eased off the pain of their early ouster in the tournament after a promising start.
The Phl team composed of Paras, Ravena, Prince Rivero and Arvin Tolentino lost the chance to advance to the Sweet 16 after losing to Czech Republic, 14-19, and to the defending champion USA, 14-21.
The Filipinos, coached by John Flores, wound up with a 3-4 record with their three wins all coming in the opening day.
They swept Chinese Taipei, Guatemala and Andorra in Day One before losing all their next four games starting with a pair of losses to powerhouse China, 0-20, and a heartbreaking 11-12 defeat at the hands of Bulgaria.
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