FILIPINO import Bobby Ray Parks Jr. led the Nagoya Diamond Dolphins to a 99-74 victory over the Toyama Grouses during their game in the B.League 2021-2022 season at the Toyama City Gymnasium in Japan on Sunday, Oct. 17, 2021.
Parks delivered with 17 points, seven rebounds, two assists and four steals.
The B.League is the the Japan Professional Basketball League.
Before playing in Japan, Parks dominated the Asean Basketball League, winning three Most Valuable Player awards and with the Philippine Basketball Association, where he played for the TNT Tropang Giga and led them to the 2020 Philippine Cup finals.
“To everybody in the city of Nagoya, thank you for your support and your unconditional love and warm welcome. We hope we represent you well. We’ll continue to fight for greatness. We’ll continue to fight for you,” Parks said in the post-game interview.
Other Filipinos
Asked about the presence of fellow Filipino Dwight Ramos in the B.League, Parks said what he had with Ramos was “brotherly competition.”
Ramos, who played for the Gilas Pilipinas, plays for the Toyama Grouses.
“I’m just glad that Filipinos have the opportunity to play basketball in such a great country (Japan). We just want to represent our country (Philippines) in the best way we could,” Parks told Japan media.
Parks asked Filipinos to continue to support not only him but also the other FIlipinos playing basketball in Japan.
Filipinos in the B.League include Kiefer Ravena (Shiga Lakestars) and his younger brother, Thirdy Ravena (SanEn NeoPhoenix).
Thirdy Ravena was the first to break the barrier in the B.League as he became the first Filipino to play in the league last year.
Also in the B.League are former University of the Philippines star Kobe Paras, who plays for Niigata Albirex BB, and Javi Gomez de Liano, who plays for the Ibaraki Robots. (CTL)