Ray Parks draws praise for electric Gilas Pilipinas debut

Bobby Ray Parks Jr. gave the most electrifying highlight in Gilas Pilipinas' tuneup game against Asian powerhouse Iran on Wednesday night at SMART-Araneta Coliseum.

With eight minutes left in the fourth quarter, the two-time UAAP Most Valuable Player forced a turnover against Iran's back court. June Mar Fajardo tapped the loose ball in transition, where Parks was left wide open for a huge dunk.

The fans erupted into cheers and were on their feet as he landed on the court with a smile in his face.

"It's wonderful that we've increased our depth by bringing Ray into the Gilas environment," said Gilas coach Tab Baldwin.

The 23-year-old wingman, who played for Texas Legends in the NBA D-League after going undrafted in 2015, was one of the brightest spots in the game for Gilas Pilipinas.

Parks came off the bench and played close to 21 minutes for the national team, filling up the stat sheet with 11 points, five assists, three rebounds, and a steal in an all-around performance.

"Ray plays hard, plays pretty smart, he's a heck of an athlete. And again it's just getting comfortable at this level," Baldwin said.

Parks' presence gave the team versatility at the wing, subbing in nicely for veteran Gabe Norwood during the game.

Baldwin said he is excited to have the young player for Gilas Pilipinas, as Parks looked comfortable playing against the tall Iranian guards and showed fearlessness when attacking the basket.

"He certainly is good enough to play at this level. We can all see that," the coach said. —JST, GMA News