Venancio Johnson Paras Jr., known publicly as Philippine basketball icon Benjie “Tower of Power” Paras, lives a more gratifying life now as he continues to dabble with showbiz projects and commitment to “GMA’s Masterclass: The Sports Series” alongside spousal-and-parental duties.
Giving a balance to quality family time and other things he pursued at the height of his basketball glory is likened to a spin move, one of the most challenging basketball moves to master. He saw the pressure rubbed off on his children as the public compared persistently his first two children’s achievement to that of the colossal mark he had carved in Philippine professional basketball.
Today, in his retirement, he savors the opportunity to be with his family more and watch closely his younger children grow into the individual they seek to be, out of his shadow.
Benjie was in Cebu last August 5, 2023 along with fellow cager, Alex Desoyo Jr., as basketball coaches/speakers to aspirants gathered at the Lapu-Lapu City Auditorium for the sports clinic.
In an interview on GMA Regional TV News, Benjie said he is preoccupied these days with “teleserye” projects alongside spousal duties with former preschool teacher and commercial model Lyxen Diomampo, and their children Sam, Riley, and Georja.
He works with Kapuso primetime king Dingdong Dantes in the murder mystery drama “Royal Blood.” He portrays the best-friend-forever role to Dingdong’s character “Napoy.”
Benjie reiterated that it is a boon for his younger children to have not watched him play professional basketball anymore.
“Hindi na nila ako nakitang naglalaro, so wala ng pressure sa kanila unlike nong kina Andre at Kobe, habang papalaki eh kinukumpara yung mga achievement nila sa akin, mahirap talaga yun,“ Benjie recalled.
Benjie’s Rookie of the Year and Most Valuable Player Awards in the Philippine Basketball Association games in 1989 - or two major plums in a year - remains unparalleled.
He talked gladly of his two grown-up children in a previous relationship. He said he adores watching his firstborn, Andre, enjoying show business and modeling, and Kobe, a chip off the old block, playing professional basketball in Japan.
Benjie said that though his two boys are now past his strict figure of a father, he still nurtures that lavish affection on them.
“Mas relax na ako ngayon kasi adults na sila at abala na sila sa mga careers nila, but we still connect. Mas masaya ako na nag-e-enjoy si Andre sa showbiz. Yung kay Kobe, naiiyak pa rin ako pag binubuksan ko yung kwarto niya kahit matagal na siyang wala do’n. Kasi nga nasanay ako na ako yung gumigising sa kanya,” he added.
Benjie was here to promote GMA’s “Masterclass: The Sports Series” to hone further the basketball prowess among talents in the regions.
As a mentor, he imparts his core values to aspirants.
He would recount the days when he and his mom were struggling financially. He would underscore the kindness of people, those who helped not just once but who joined him all the way to the pinnacle of success.
He would share on how he has nurtured dedication, commitment, perseverance, tenacity, gratitude, among other timeless values, to arrive where he should supposedly be and deliver a great ball.
He said sheer will drives him to reach the goal, literally. Foremost, he said, one has to pursue sound decisions One has to be firm in choosing a career path and to be deeply in love with it to ensure prosperity. This is because challenges abound in sports, just like in many pursuits. Driving one’s way to the basket is always met by feisty blocks and aggressive steals.
Wherever he is called to mentor or to speak, Benjie said, he would reiterate that dedication, commitment, perseverance, tenacity, and gratitude propel a sportsman - or any other man - to be always on the ball.
