WHILE he is set to bring his act to the Japan B.League, Bobby Ray Parks Jr. is much ready and willing to don the Gilas Pilipinas jersey.
“As long as my team permits, when the window is open, I would love to represent my country,” Parks said on Radyo5 92.3 News FM’s Power and Play program hosted by former PBA commissioner Noli Eala.
“I know I’m Filipino. I know I’m true to my culture. I’m true to my country,” he added.
The 6-foot-4 Parks, signed last week by Nagoya, lauded the work Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas program director and coach Tab Baldwin is putting in.
“I love what coach Tab is doing with the guys. I mean, it’s the next generation, the young generation,” Parks said.
“You’re honing them and building them up in a sense of preparing for great things which are 2023, and 2024.”
Parks, 28, said he is certainly open to playing anew for Gilas but his focus right now is with the Diamond Dolphins.
He last played for Gilas in the 2017 Southeast Asian Games in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia as a member of a young all-pro quintet coached by Jong Uichico
“Definitely not burning any bridges and you know, one thing is, the Philippines has a lot of great talent. The PBA is a prestigious league. TNT had its fair share also of their victories, like I said when I was young, I used to ride the bus to watch coach Jimmy (Alapag) and all the guys play, so they have a great culture going around them, too,” he said.
“Right now, it’s time for me to represent our country abroad and that’s what I need to focus on because I know it’s a big task at hand.”
Parks opted not to sign a contract extension with TNT last March, citing “personal reasons” why he chose to skip the PBA’s 46th season.
No less than former PLDT president and CEO Manny V. Pangilinan questioned Parks’ decision to take a sabbatical and was criticized after he was seen on social media surfing in La Union with 30th Southeast Asian Games gold medalist Roger Casugay.
Parks was eventually given the green light by TNT and the pro league to suit up in Japan.
