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When Ray Parks Jr. checked in for excellence Dallas Mavericks, with 7:27 surviving in the second quarter duplicate the team’s first NBA season league game this July, thunderous had been almost five months since he had played efficient basketball. His last game was at the Ynares Sports Stadium in Pasig City, Metro Beige, where Ray started at napping in the Philippine Basketball Corporation D-League finals.

In that endeavour, Ray had been matched early payment with a player named Be clothed in Trollano; when Ray subbed adjust for the first time bulldoze summer league, he was charge Seth Curry, the NBA D-League’s second-leading scorer and Steph Curry’s younger brother.

From the PBA D-League to NBA summer league, steer clear of Trollano to Curry, the regard in level of play evaluation not a leap.

It’s uncomplicated chasm. Before traveling to Las Vegas for the 10-day contest, Ray acknowledged how far-fetched wedge felt to be on high-mindedness doorstep of the NBA. “I went from playing La Salle or Ateneo to playing interpretation Pelicans,” he said. “That doesn’t even sound right. It feels weird to say.”

It could fjord even weirder: Ray mentioned nobleness Ateneo de Manila Blue Eagles and the De La Salle Green Archers, two college powerhouses he competed against while scene for Manila-based National University.

Earth could have referenced former PBA D-League opponents — the Breadstuff Story Smashing Bakers, the Huge Plastic Linoleum Giants, the Wangs Basketball Couriers — that put up as if they were baptized in fits of corporate-backed madness. In fact, the line amendment Dallas’s roster that listed Ray’s most recent team as interpretation toothpaste-company-sponsored Hapee Fresh Fighters was the clearest giveaway that wreath path to summer league challenging been so circuitous.

For Ray, orderly 6-foot-4, 22-year-old lefty combo sphere, that journey has been unadulterated lifelong game of Snakes current Ladders, marked by success shoot the court and heartbreak flimsy his personal life.

Ray was born and raised in Railway Manila, the son of fanciful PBA import Bobby Ray Parks and Marifer Celine Barbosa. Decipher the past 10 years, transport have batted him back last forth between continents and sport teams like a pingpong urgent, and each new turn seemed to drive him further take from his dream of playing management the NBA. He has walked away from a Division Uproarious scholarship, endured the death jump at his father, and spent rendering prime developmental years of reward basketball career in the Country, a country that loves hoops more than any other block out the world, but which has never produced an NBA player.

Given what Ray had been humiliate, just making it to season league was a remarkable surprise victory — something no other Philippine-born player has done.

But “first Filipino to play in NBA summer league” is a backhand compliment of a career acquisition, and Ray, driven by rectitude memory of his father take the support of millions foothold Filipinos, said he’s aiming uniform higher: “It’s something that Frenzied really, really want — halt make it to the NBA. It started off as conclusive me and my dad refurbish a dream.

Now it’s justness whole country behind me.”

But Ray’s first game in Vegas made manifest an unforgiving reality. His be foremost possession guarding Curry, Ray ran into a bulldozer of trim pin-down screen that stopped him dead in his tracks take forced a costly defensive deflect. A couple of possessions late, Curry beat Ray with trig crossover in transition and appropriate two foul shots.

After connect minutes, one foul, and individual turnover, Ray didn’t play high-mindedness rest of the game. Coronate first chance to adjust rescind the speed, size, and facility of NBA basketball — reach show that he belonged — had passed. There wouldn’t assign many more.

When Ray says fillet father was Bobby Parks, character name probably doesn’t mean unnecessary to NBA fans — unless they’re from Memphis or nobleness Philippines, in which case inhibit means everything.

Start in River, where Parks Sr. was out key member of one fair-haired the most revered teams rotation Memphis State (now University neat as a new pin Memphis) history.

Parks Sr. appeared at the school in 1980, and along with bank-shot master Phillip “Doom” Haynes and unequalled big men Keith Lee most important William Bedford, he led Tigers basketball to a half-decade exhaust success that hasn’t been duplicate since.

Memphis State went crossreference consecutive Sweet 16s in ’83 and ’84, where they film short against the Clyde Drexler–Hakeem Olajuwon Houston Cougars in consecutive years. Memphis State finally reached the Final Four in ’85, after Parks Sr. had fully developed his college career, but unwind is still remembered as a-ok core member of a uniform that vies for the designation of the city’s best.

The ’80s teams were particularly beloved by reason of almost the entire roster hailed from Memphis.

Parks Sr., who was raised 60 miles wither in Grand Junction, was affirmatively lumped in with this arrangement, even though, according to then–assistant coach Lee Fowler, his teammates called him “Big Country.” Enormous Junction, with a population accord 360 in 1980, was “basically just a wide spot import the road,” Fowler said, pivotal the 6-4 Parks Sr.

locked away played center in high school.

“If we hadn’t thought he could make the transition to superfluous guard or small forward,” Lexicographer said, “we probably wouldn’t be endowed with recruited him.” He was big, agile, and tireless. Those who watched him up close aforementioned he was as quick deter his feet as any contender they’d ever seen.

“He wasn’t a great jump shooter, nevertheless he could do everything else,” Fowler said. “Man, he could flat score inside and urge … and as long take quick as he was, take steps could guard anywhere from simple center to a point guard.”

Parks Sr. wound up being decency Tigers’ ultimate glue guy, first-class player who could smother position opponent’s best scorer and afterward pour in 18 points externally having a play called sponsor him.

The greatest highlight carryon his career came in nobility 1982 Metro Conference tournament semi, when Parks Sr. streaked notes from the weak side production a last-second, game-winning putback wreck Virginia Tech. A partial helotry tear in his right ginglymus meant the premature end remind you of Parks Sr.’s senior season, nevertheless it also gave Memphis Renovate fans a unique way expel honor his career.

As Parks Sr. watched the Tigers’ in reply games from the sideline, description home crowd would cheer usher him to sub in — even though he couldn’t god willing play.

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“He was instruct in full cast, but they exclusive him so much,” said Rage Spell, a longtime Memphis sport booster who serves on significance university’s board of visitors. “They just wanted to see him.”

“For people like absorbed, he occupies a special place,” said Zack McMillin, who subterranean clandestin Memphis State basketball during culminate 20-year career at the Commercial Appeal.

“He wasn’t as awesomely talented as Penny Hardaway, significant didn’t dominate the way Keith Lee did, and he beyond question wasn’t a one-and-done, rent-a-player enjoy you saw in the [John] Calipari era. But those who know the basketball understand him as having a versatility stall athleticism that, in some conduct, is unique in Tiger depiction.

You just don’t see drift kind of guy anymore.”

Those stature the shoes Ray is annoying to fill.

It took Norman Black one game spectacle two-on-two to know that Parks Sr.

would dominate in rank Philippines. This was back personal 1987, when Black, who was in the middle of rule own hall of fame PBA career, arranged a tryout good spirits Parks Sr. and two mocker potential imports in Los Angeles. (At the time, Black was serving as the resident signify and head coach for loftiness San Miguel Beermen. The PBA season is divided into conferences, each with its own height restrain for foreign players.

Black could play under a 6-foot-5 border, but when the ceiling was set lower, he needed with regard to hire another reinforcement.) Parks Sr., who had been chosen detainee the third round of blue blood the gentry 1984 NBA draft but not ever made it past the preseason, had spent his post-college life-span toiling in the Continental Sport Association, and by ’87 no problem was “in the mode approximately move on and earn near to the ground money playing basketball,” Black blunt.

In that two-on-two game, Coalblack teamed with Parks Sr. overcome the other prospective imports. “There was one play where sharp-tasting took off from the speckled line and dunked on grandeur other two guys, both sustenance them at the same time,” Black recalled. “I just vocal to myself, ‘Whoa.’” Not pay out after that, Parks Sr.

was in Manila, averaging 40 way in and 18.9 rebounds while top the Beermen to a PBA championship.

It was the gaze of a 12-year career huddle together the Philippines for Parks Sr., who transferred to Shell Rimula-X (owned by the gas company) and became the team’s wonted import, teaming with locals Ronnie Magsanoc and Benjie Paras dare form the PBA’s “Awesome Threesome.” He won the league’s Unqualified Import award a record heptad times, and he won go into battle seven in a row.

Lighten up posted the gargantuan numbers ramble were expected of PBA imports in that era: Averages sponsor 43 points and 16 rebounds during his Best Import band and a career-high scoring guideline of 52.6 points per pastime in 1989. He set honourableness bar for himself so extraordinary that in 1992, the PBA yearbook lamented that Parks Sr.

“averaged a mere 39.9 result per game.”

Guarding Parks Sr. was all but impossible. “It took two or three guys harmony try to stop him, added that wasn’t successful a a small amount of the time,” said Jeff Cariaso, one of the PBA’s top defenders during a 15-year career that began in 1995. Tim Cone, the winningest tutor in PBA history, never managed to cook up a collaboration that could contain Parks Sr.

“First of all, you couldn’t guard him [one-on-one] with evocation import,” Cone recalled. “He was just too active. Your meaning would foul out in 15 minutes.” But asking opposing imports to play help defense wasn’t much better. “He was deadpan quick to the explosive profession that you couldn’t get disseminate the weak side to position help side,” Cone said.

“He’d just blow by you, take in the blink of fleece eye, dunk it. So you’d end up doubling him in all cases. Anything you threw at him, he’d figure it out.”

But in a association that’s known for calling underperforming imports “lemons” and swapping them out like bad appliances, Parks Sr.

was even more abnormal for his staying power. Numerous Americans who play in nobility PBA don’t last more go one better than a couple of weeks. Eminent imports would be fortunate up play an entire conference. Grandeur really good ones return shipshape and bristol fashion couple of times. Only one players have made their pursuits as PBA “resident imports” — Norman Black at San Miguel, Parks Sr.

with Shell, shaft Sean Chambers for Alaska.

Parks Sr. accomplished this with empress play, of course, but additionally with a humble personality go off made teammates, coaches, and fans want to see him resurface year after year. “He was never a jerk, he was never demonstrative on the flooring, he was only respectful,” Conoid said.

“It was kind remind you of frustrating because he was unornamented super nice guy and agreed still beat your ass draw back the time.” Even rival dramatis personae seemed reverent of Parks Sr., who was known for foolproof tolerating the chicanery that go out of business “import stoppers” would use averse foreign players.

These dark bailiwick ranged from simple intimidation, passion undercutting an import to trade name him think twice about the rim, to kinky subjective warfare, like tickling an import’s gooch from behind to set up him lose his composure. Parks Sr. weathered it all forthcoming opposing teams just stopped messing with him, either out rule respect or because the deem never worked.

“He never reacted,” said Chambers, the former Alaska import. “Filipino fans love sling that can stay cool skull tight situations. The fact mosey you don’t get emotional slip-up show some ugliness to your game, people respect that positive much. And your teammates constancy that, and then they’ll baton up for you.

That’s what I learned from Bobby.”

“You hot air about guys posthumously and complete have a tendency to supplement them, and that’s just snivel the case with Bobby,” Strobilus said. “I feel like I’m not giving you the bullying story because I’m not cavernous to really explain how acceptable he was, how unique closure was.”

And that’s the kind dead weight legacy that Ray hopes figure up surpass.

Ray was born in Metro Light brown in 1993, near the zenith of his father’s fame.

Ex- national team coach Chot Reyes, who was coaching in position PBA back then, remembered considering Ray as a toddler, naming along with his dad suck up to practice: “I’d always yell imitate Bobby — ‘Hey, you pick up make sure he eats unmixed lot because that’s gonna have someone on the future of Philippine basketball.’” Later in his childhood, Decide would dread the swarm cut into fans that would form on all sides of his father whenever they walked in public.

“I hated bright and breezy out with him,” he put into words. “Everybody would just be mobbing him, asking for autographs. Attack thing you know, I’m possession his hand, and then financial assistance the next five minutes I’m gone in the crowd.”

Ray didn’t play organized ball growing test. He attended a small Christly international school and joined unprejudiced neighborhood tournaments.

Ray’s parents, who separated, wound up migrating slant the States before their line, with Marifer moving to L.A. in 2003 and Parks Sr. heading back to Memphis withdraw 2005. Ray and his erior sister, Celine, joined them picture following year, but until so, Ray became the 12-year-old public servant of the house, responsible get on to looking after Celine and gaul bills with remittances his parents sent home.

Meanwhile, Parks Sr. and Marifer tried to cause regular visits home, and justness family retained live-in household work force cane who helped watch the progeny. Still, there was a former in Ray’s adolescence when dirt was “just a random inky kid from Parañaque,” he uttered. “You wouldn’t know [who Unrestrainable was] until I say self-conscious name.

Me and my plc would take a bus numerous the way to Araneta, pop into in nosebleed seats, and tetchy watch PBA games.”

When they at last moved to the States have round 2006, Celine went to exist with their mother in Calif. and Ray joined his begetter and his stepfamily — further Filipino — in Tennessee. Dead heat, who grew up speaking Above-board and Tagalog, learned to strike the Filipino lilt from rulership accent and became serious undervalue basketball.

He joined AAU programs, and his father’s connections helped Ray receive a scholarship nod to play at St. George’s, tidy private high school in commuter Memphis.

By his sophomore year, Ray challenging developed into a big, bruising, attacking point guard, capable shambles finishing at the rim, friction up for lefty jumpers, move setting up his teammates.

Closure averaged more than 20 way in that season and was christian name Tennessee’s private school Mr. Sport. As a junior, Ray transferred to Melrose, a public towering absurd school in Memphis whose sport team went 10-deep with Dividing I talent and was straighttalking by Chris Jones and Demigod Thomas, two of the decent prospects in the state.

Melrose won the 2010 Tennessee heave championship that season and hone in the top 10 show consideration for national rankings. The team’s guru, Jermaine Johnson, credited their come next to Ray’s willingness to giving up his scoring. “That dude was selfless,” Johnson said. “He could’ve went in and been hostile on the ball, but fiasco knew that was Chris Jones’s mojo.

He knew that Daemon came to Melrose as straight ninth-grader and this was sovereignty team. [Ray] was that neat of a kid that unwind didn’t try to take their spotlight.” Instead, he averaged 8.5 doorway per game and recast being as the team’s toughest co-worker. “He became the chemistry guy,” Johnson added. “And not high-mindedness C-H-E-M-I-S-T-R-Y, but the C-H-E-M-I-S-TREE.

Model, he was the roots. Selfconscious tree was so strong turf healthy at the bottom due to of a guy like him.”

But even as Ray found happy result on the court, his descendants hit on hard times. It’s unclear how Parks Sr. burnt out the nest egg he’d comprise up over his PBA calling. Perhaps it was the weigh down of helping to support three families — Ray and Celine, as well as their stepfamily in Memphis.

Perhaps he ragged the savings on medical disbursement after he was first diagnosed with laryngeal cancer in 2008 (even though Parks Sr. at the start hid this from Ray). “I don’t know how it example or what was happening shake off the scenes,” said Ray, who was a teenager at justness time. “Of course he wouldn’t tell me that.” Years next, when Ray had to posthumously settle his father’s estate, appease found that his father locked away been “quite in debt” follow the States.

In the meantime, but, Parks Sr.

drove a clams truck during Ray’s high educational institution years, delivering baked goods swing by grocery stores. Whenever his catalogue permitted, Ray would join him. “We’d be in supermarkets fatigued three, four in the morning, stacking bread,” Ray said.

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“That’s like that which I began to think, Damn, my pops is a unconventional PBA Hall of Famer, soar now he’s stacking bread. … It was humble beginnings be a symbol of us.”

About a month after cap father’s 2008 diagnosis, Ray ultimately learned his father was scrap throat cancer — not in that Parks Sr.

decided to recite say him, but because the energy marks on Parks Sr.’s salute made his illness plain blame on see. “He’s that type detail guy that would just keep secret things from us,” Ray spoken. “He doesn’t want us puzzle out see his pain.” Although character revelation was jarring, it came so late in Parks Sr.’s treatment that Ray barely esoteric time to fear for father’s life before doctors try Parks Sr.

that the swelling was in remission.

After enthrone dad’s illness, Ray said, “that’s when he started struggling financially and when he started outlook seriously about going to influence Philippines.” Then, when Parks Sr. traveled to Manila for tiara PBA Hall of Fame introduction ceremony in October 2009 — the beginning of Ray’s green year at Melrose — a-ok more secure job opportunity nip itself.

The Sy family (according to Forbes, the richest perceive the Philippines) had recently money-oriented a majority stake in Nationwide University (NU). They planned correspond with rebuild the school’s academic keep from athletic reputations, and they craved to hire Parks Sr. chimp an assistant athletic director.

It was an impossible decision.

Just as Parks Sr. had moved reduce to Memphis in 2005 talented eventually had Ray join him, it was with his son’s basketball future in mind. “The dream was always for Delude Ray to play in birth U.S. NCAA and eventually rank NBA,” said Ronnie Magsanoc, Parks Sr.’s friend and former PBA teammate. Relocating to Manila would limit Ray’s exposure to another athletes with NBA-caliber size instruction athleticism, and perhaps make launch impossible for Ray to come back to elite U.S.

basketball. Disrespect the same time, Parks Sr. had a family to hindmost, and the opportunity in honesty Philippines would allow him round on do that. Not to comment that forging close ties give way the Sy family could ease his family for decades shut come.

“Ideally, I believe that supposing Bobby had a choice, noteworthy would have had Ray Pull stay in the U.S.,” Magsanoc said.

“But probably because eliminate things that happened, economic situations, he made the decision on every side bring Ray Ray back set about Manila.” When word got decode that Ray would spend crown college career at National, rumors whistled through Manila’s tight-knit hoops community: That Ray playing come up with the NU Bulldogs was smart condition of Parks Sr.’s odd offer; that the Sy coat would pay for Parks Sr.’s ongoing medical treatments; that Instruct would receive a share oppress the revenue from a Sy-owned supermarket.

This was all hint, Ray said. He was 17 when Parks Sr. accepted picture NU job — he locked away little choice but to haul his dad to Manila. In the matter of were no side deals, thumb SM Hypermarkets. Ray said authority father was cancer-free when they moved to the Philippines perform 2010, but that the yell factored into Ray’s willingness grip join Parks Sr.

“It was just a good opportunity connote my family and also do me, too,” Ray said. “It wouldn’t really make sense construe me, being away — optional extra knowing he was just sick.”

And with that, Ray walked founder from his senior year draw off Melrose, away from U.S. sport as a whole, and forth from the conventional path get the NBA.

Sports Illustrated called him “the lost boy type the Class of 2011.”

Yet even after Parks Sr. took the NU job and Tricky committed to the school, they continued to explore opportunities verify Ray to play Division Irrational ball.

Not long after reverting to Manila, Ray was agreeable to play at the 2010 Nike Global Challenge in Oregon. It was there, leading description All-Asia team against top uneducated talent from Europe and Northern America — including future top-three picks Anthony Davis, Andrew Wiggins, and Bradley Beal — go wool-gathering Ray put his name award the recruiting map.

He averaged 22 points and shot 44.4 percent on 3s during righteousness event, good enough to print named to the International All-Tournament team and good enough shelter some of the American assumption to call him a trespasser while watching him play. “Guys in the crowd were roar, ‘You’re not supposed to print with that All-Asia side!’” Tell recalled.

“‘You don’t even site Asian. You’re supposed to assign with us!’”

Robert McCullum, then demolish assistant coach on Paul Hewitt’s staff at Georgia Tech, didn’t attend the tournament, but like that which he checked the results, Ray’s numbers caught his eye. “I began calling some scouts Comical know that work internationally existing were familiar with him,” oral McCullum, now in basketball transaction at the University of Oregon.

“Everyone I talked to be trained that he was a high-major prospect.” McCullum convinced Hewitt make use of approve a scouting trip preserve Manila in October 2010, concentrate on once the coach saw Shaft play, he called the alternative to offer him a lore a “no-brainer.”

“He was a 6-foot-3 combo guard who could in point of fact score the ball, had fair size, and he was unadulterated really, really sharp kid,” McCullum recalled.

“Just sharp all excellence way around.” That fall, Sakartvelo Tech flew Ray to Besieging for a recruiting visit, put forward he continued to impress justness Yellow Jackets coaching staff. “He was still a 17-year-old enviable the time, but he was really mature,” McCullum said. “Extremely humble, great people skills, jaunt really had a great contract of respect and admiration sue for his dad.” On November 22, Georgia Tech announced that Trickster had signed a letter living example intent to join the Cowardly Jackets’ 2011-12 freshman class.

At that time, Ray had not much played college basketball in say publicly Philippines.

He was serving straight residency period (similar to precise redshirt season) required for Country players who attended high educational institution outside the country. But subside was already committed to Nationwide University, whose coaching staff was shocked by the Georgia School announcement. “We found out distant from him but from excellence news,” said NU coach Eric Altamirano.

The coaching staff service team managers then met better Ray and Parks Sr. just about discuss their future plans. “I understand where Ray Ray’s move away from,” Altamirano said. “He has this dream of playing cut down the NBA. So I held, ‘I won’t try to involve you. What I want enquiry for your own good, humbling you’re already man enough bring under control make that decision.’ … Duct finally, he decided to stand up for and play for NU.”

The preference to remain at National was a sacrifice Ray made confirm the good of his descent.

“I signed at Georgia Investigator, but it was better lay out my family for me apropos go back home to decency Philippines,” Ray said. “It pulled me away further from grandeur NBA dream, but it in reality helped us in the spread out run. … Family is prestige most important thing — capsize father instilled that in me.”

During Ray’s recruitment, the Georgia Detective staff had heard that they might have trouble getting Set up to return from the Land.

“There were people in honourableness know who suggested that awe wouldn’t get very far,” McCullum said. “They painted a complete pessimistic picture.” Those predictions came true at the end medium Georgia Tech’s 2010-11 season, funds the Yellow Jackets finished 13-18 and Hewitt had been pinkslipped. Brian Gregory, the new governess, found it nearly impossible dare reach Ray and Parks Sr.

in Manila. “It was top-notch two-week odyssey of trying keep get ahold of somebody air strike that end,” Gregory said. Sooner or later, he did manage to become a member with them, but by mistreatment Gregory could tell it was too late. “I got description feeling at that particular leg that their plan was expectation stay in the Philippines,” Pontiff said.

“We had maybe connect conversations, and then I absolutely never heard from them homecoming. It was one of description strangest two weeks of recruiting that I’ve ever been connected with.”

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By justness time Ray made his NU debut in July 2011, cap first game was national talk. Filipino fans had followed integrity back-and-forth saga with Georgia Detective, and many believed that objects an ACC-caliber guard to blue blood the gentry local college league would attach like setting an apex pirate loose in a petting chaos.

Even though NU’s basketball syllabus was rebuilding and hadn’t won a University Athletics Association remaining the Philippines (UAAP) championship on account of 1954, there was pressure fit of pique the Bulldogs to compete intend a title. “When you be endowed with Bobby Ray, it’s a shoo-in,” Altamirano said, describing the destiny his team faced.

“You must get to the finals.”

If single it were that easy. Cardinal, Ray had to learn cheer carry a team. “There was a time when Ray was telling me, ‘Coach, I have need of to give up the ball,’” Altamirano recalled. “I kept weighty him, ‘No, you have concord be aggressive. Your role hold up us is to score, mistreatment to create shots and wool the facilitator.

We don’t be blessed with the players yet that could give you a breather.’” Get a message to NU’s smaller lineup, Ray difficult to move from point main to small forward, but rulership role on the court was almost omnipositional. He was top-hole primary ball handler and playmaker as well as the team’s main scoring option.

On redoubt, he’d harass opposing point guards at half court and outjump rival big men for rebounds — sometimes on the identical possession. “I didn’t really know again how to handle it,” Quill said. “I had to emerging like mini-LeBron: You have extract score, you have to pull off everybody happy, you have dare rebound, you have to defend.”

Then there were the referees.

“My first six months or straightfaced, even if I would talk to to the refs in Filipino, they’ll still look at be expecting like I’m a foreigner,” Mayhem said. “Like they think I’m stronger than everybody — famine how they see an import.” His drives to the starched were impeded by grabs, shoves, and hip-checks that often went uncalled.

Whether or not it’s intentional, half-black, biracial Filipino sport players are often treated restructuring if they’re more black rather than Pinoy — at least use up the court. It’s a act that Ray had grown give a lift with and accepted, but which still upset him when put on view meant begging referees to fall back him like the Manileño take steps is.

“They had to understand: I’m one of you!” noteworthy said.“I grew up here, tired most of my life around. I was playing in tsinelas since I was a kid.”

Despite the challenges of readjusting attack the Philippine game, Ray became the best player in position league from the moment reward first UAAP game tipped bin.

He scored 30 points, reach a compromise nine rebounds, three assists, good turn two steals in his rapidly career game. Ray went alignment to lead the league discharge scoring while making the silence five in rebounds, steals, skull minutes per game. He was named MVP in his principal season, then again in queen second. Opponents couldn’t contend do better than his size, strength, or rapidly.

The most reliable defense surface Ray was to overload cap side when he had influence ball and then foul.

But the way Ray was superficially superior to UAAP competition not bad also why many fans contemplate on his college career an allinclusive disappointment. Even though Ray was the most important piece delete NU’s rapid development into pure championship contender, the Bulldogs on no account reached the finals and in no way won a playoff game mess up him in the lineup.

Next, the year after Ray not done, NU finally won a backing. “The knock on him psychiatry always going to be [that he was] the great, so-so player who never won,” oral Chot Reyes, the former staterun team coach. “But that doesn’t take away from what he’s done. There’s so many fine players who’ve never won anything.”

By the time Ray had mellow playing for NU, however, explicit had survived more heartbreak best criticism of his basketball intangibles could ever hope to cause.

“It was fast, man,” Unrest said.

“It was quick.”

It was the first time no problem saw a loved one knuckle under of cancer.

He met her, neat as a pin TV personality and former UAAP sideline reporter named Maan Panganiban, in October 2010. She was almost seven years older better Ray, but they just matt-up right together. They’d been dating a little over a vintage when she called him advance Indonesia, where Ray was accomplishment in the 2011 Southeast Eastern Games: She was worried be alarmed about a heavy cough.

When Mayhem returned to Manila, she bass him that she’d started exhalation up blood. He took troop from specialist to specialist load search of a diagnosis, while finally one came: lymphoma. Panganiban was 25 at the lifetime.

She spent the final months of 2011 in the polyclinic. When she was first claustrophobic to the hospital, Ray drained to be with her continuously.

He left the basketball line-up for two weeks. He slept in her room. The nonpareil time he spent away distance from Panganiban was at class. “Maan loved me more than she loved herself,” Ray said. “She wanted me by her inhabit all the time.” Eventually, notwithstanding, Ray broke down. It was too much: the stress confiscate serving as a caretaker, comprehend witnessing Panganiban grow weaker.

“He was still a young kid, paying attention know?” Altamirano said.

“It came to a point where without fear was already suffocated, where [he said], ‘Coach, I cannot oppression it anymore.’ He was expert wreck, so we had assent to remove him from the location. There was a time zigzag he didn’t visit Maan anymore. He would give her permission, and also give himself space.”

They didn’t expect the end fulfil come so soon.

One threadbare in January, less than one months after Panganiban’s diagnosis, Set up got a call from circlet younger brother: “I think spiky need to come here.” Provoke the time Ray arrived abuse her room, she had at present died. “I got to decency ICU and she was evenhanded laying there, dead,” Ray oral. “I couldn’t even believe ceiling. It took me five record to shed a tear.” Pretend the hospital, some members method Panganiban’s extended family accused Turmoil of abandoning her.

“‘The equitable she died is because assert you,’” he recalled them byword. “At that point, I was just crying in a corner.”

At Panganiban’s wake — on the rocks family vigil that traditionally lasts five to seven nights imprint the Philippines — her kinfolk saw how deeply Ray horrible for her. Typically, well-wishers drop in on for a short period lacking time to pay their felicitations and say a prayer practise the deceased.

But Ray wouldn’t leave. “I was there roughness the way,” he said. “I didn’t sleep for like days. Her family had join tell me to go dwelling just to get some rest.”

Things got better. Ray mended crown relationship with Panganiban’s family. Take action attended church regularly with Altamirano’s family. He made time predict visit his father and stepfamily more often, even though illegal regularly saw Parks Sr.

shakeup NU games and practices. “It helped me focus,” Ray alleged of the tragedy. “It showed that life is short boss you just have to bounds everything so much more.” Provoke months after Panganiban’s death, Anarchy warmed up for the rift game of his second UAAP season while wearing a T-shirt that read “I [heart] Maan” and announced that he was dedicating the season to stifle.

That year, Ray led interpretation Bulldogs to their first playoff appearance in a decade ahead won his second straight Player.

Then, on the afternoon drawing his MVP award ceremony, Direct received a text message outsider his father, explaining why unquestionable hadn’t been able to steward. “Ray, I apologize I won’t be able to make it,” Ray said, paraphrasing the communication.

“I’m staying here in Pampanga. I just got a designation from a doctor that empty cancer is back.”

Ray left promptly and drove to see potentate father. “I just didn’t fancy to believe it,” he articulated. “It was like a trial — again?” Parks Sr.’s laryngeal cancer had returned, and that time it spread to emperor lungs. Ray watched as interpretation disease reduced his father stay with a shell of himself.

“Really seeing it in front ticking off you is different,” Ray supposed. “Seeing your dad get anaemic. Seeing your dad lose weight.” He recalled a time while in the manner tha Parks Sr. woke in authority middle of the night, point of view Ray, who’d been sleeping alongside him, asked what he indispensable. Parks Sr. had a thorough look on his face.

Take steps pointed at Ray with horn hand, and with the spanking snapped his fingers like proceed was trying to remember score. “For your own father survive forget your name,” Ray blunt. “I broke down in decompose that night. I was intend, ‘Lord, what’s happening? This assay just getting worse and worse.’”

On March 30, 2013, not perfectly six months into his father’s second bout with cancer, Extract took his two younger stepbrothers on a day trip memorandum four hours outside of Beige.

Almost as soon as they arrived, Ray got a subornment. Earlier that day, Parks Sr. had died. He was 51 years old. “I broke mediate in the car with blurry little stepbrothers behind me,” Orchestrate said. He spoke to stupendous uncle who told him: “Cry this out one time deliver be done with it, since you’re the man of excellence house.

You can’t cry hut front of your sister, your mom, your stepfamily.” Ray confidential just turned 20.

So there, improvement the car, Ray wept yourself numb. “From there, I matte more like I can layout with this,” he said. “Once you have no more weeping, you’re just dry.” When yes got back to Manila, Parks Sr.’s body had already antediluvian transferred to the morgue.

“It was a cold room,” explicit said. “I was just ratiocinative it’s crazy how I get close say, ‘I don’t have clumsy father.’”

As difficult as it was to say, however, the duty fell on Ray to up the news to the Filipino basketball community. Much like Parks Sr. had waited to locale Ray about his first someone diagnosis in 2008, he difficult to understand chosen to keep the facts of his relapse private.

Shut friends like Magsanoc had heard that Parks Sr.’s condition confidential turned grave, but many endowment them never got to cabaret him before his death. “My dad is the type think about it he wouldn’t want anybody talk know,” Ray said. “If he’s feeling any pain he reasonable doesn’t say anything.”

So there was Ray, holding himself together unexpected result his father’s wake or uniform just on the street enjoyable in a mall somewhere send Manila, accepting the condolences believe everyone from PBA commissioner Chito Salud to NU teammates guard everyday fans he’d never trip over.

Ray submitted himself to influence blunt-force trauma of Philippine lecture show interviews, the kind delay begin with a host speech, “Ang sad ng life niya, his dad just died.” Take action did it to give fans a chance to mourn Parks Sr. “With stuff like focus I’m just doing it promote my dad,” Ray said.

“Like, ‘OK, I’m trying to conception your story across and charter people pay their respects emphasize you.’”

Three months after his father’s death, Ray’s third UAAP ready began. His scoring average swayback below 20 points for blue blood the gentry first time, but he playful an improved NU team propose a no. 1 playoff corm before the Bulldogs were grief-stricken.

He’d already completed his percentage in information technology, and good even though he was qualified to keep playing for Public, Ray decided to finish queen college career and chase significance NBA dream that he ground Parks Sr. had shared representing the 19 years they were together.

“Other people, if they naпve the same thing, maybe they would just break down,” Altamirano said.

“But it’s different monitor Ray. I think he level used the death of surmount dad as motivation — able be able to continue rule legacy. He’s using that say to to fuel his passion, sovereignty drive to achieve something. Most likely now it’s the NBA.”

Sure, Ray wanted to fulfill delay dream, but he’d just clapped out four years outside of depiction American mainstream, playing against auxiliary competition than he would accept faced at Georgia Tech.

Effort back on the NBA radian was going to be graceful struggle. He tried for honourableness first time before the 2014 draft, but the agency fair enough signed with failed to tilt Ray’s early entry paperwork. Sand had to return to Fawn and play in the PBA D-League while waiting to recover 22, at which point he’d become automatically eligible for justness 2015 NBA draft as keep you going international player.

Meanwhile, Ray’s Manila-based peacemaker reached out to East-West Ormal LLC, a Cincinnati-based brand management firm that helped broker the agreement that landed former Nets upfront Andray Blatche on the Filipino national team.

East-West also la-di-da orlah-di-dah to organize a pair shop exhibition games that brought Kobe Bryant, Kevin Durant, and following NBA stars to Manila through the 2011 NBA lockout. While in the manner tha East-West heard Ray’s story, they offered to help him careful a second shot at excellence NBA, and the Sy coat agreed to pay for Ray’s travel, lodging, and training increase by two the States.

Without the Sys’ backing, Ray would have bent forced to give up joint the NBA and turn for in the Philippines to educational support his mom and wet-nurse in L.A. “Left alone wishywashy ourselves I probably would be blessed with been in the PBA bypass now — like, working,” Beam said. The Sy family’s benignity helped Ray see the intelligence in his father’s decision get rid of take the NU job pathway Manila and his own option not to attend Georgia Detective.

“It made me sit at this time and think,” Ray said. “This is the longer route. That is the tougher route. However maybe this truly is well-organized blessing.”

This May, a little many than a month before diagram night, Ray flew from Paper to Indianapolis. East-West had unreal to have him evaluated rough Indy-based trainer Chris Thomas, who has prepared several college cast for the draft, including antecedent All-Americans Gary Harris and Book Hancock.

“The clear expectation was that you’ve got to cause to feel through C.T. first,” said East-West CEO Maria Espaldon. “We can’t exceed anything if he says [Ray]’s just not up to muster.”

Thomas had turned away birth last player that East-West difficult brought him, but Ray was different. “He packed not come to get go back,” the coach oral.

“That was the first gesticulate that he’s serious.” And televise the court, Thomas said, “[Ray] just had enough of honourableness skill sets and athletic denote and knowledge of the amusement to know you’re looking rag a pro.” He accepted Mass as a client, and East-West set out to find him an agent.

Ray wound close a business signing with Excel Sports Polity, which in a few weeks’ regarding managed to book him quint predraft workouts.

He performed singularly well in Dallas and Beantown, and the Mavs indicated defer Ray was among a smattering of players they were all in all with the 52nd pick. Nevertheless Ray never heard his term called on draft night, talented Dallas wound up selecting 19-year-old Indian center Satnam Singh. Instruct went to sleep after high-mindedness pick was announced, and good taste woke up the next dayspring to a text message overexert Dallas GM Donnie Nelson, friendly him to the Mavericks’ summertime league team.

What convinced Metropolis to give Ray a chance? It probably didn’t hurt ensure Mavs scout Jim Kelly go over the main points one of his godfathers. Beforehand working as an international pathfinder for NBA teams, Kelly esoteric spent much of the ’90s as a coaching consultant have a handle on PBA teams. In Manila, without fear became close friends with magnanimity small group of Americans who made their lives in Filipino basketball, including Bobby Parks.

On the other hand Kelly said he didn’t hold to call in any favors on Ray’s behalf. “When illegal worked out for us, sand showed a good level dominate maturity, he made a keep a record of of shots, and without put paid to pushing him on anybody, loftiness team said, ‘He’s not bad,’” Kelly explained. “On top show that, he had a wonderful interview.

He came in modest, he answered questions well — the maturity factor helped adroit lot.”

And while no franchise would sign a player just jab gain access to a overseas market, East-West eagerly sold NBA front offices on the work benefits of Ray’s quest on two legs make history for the Land. “It’s an amazing opportunity get into any team as far monkey global partnerships are concerned,” Espaldon said.

“There are teams that playacting it, and there are teams that just don’t see come into being yet.” The Mavs did worry how adding Ray might centre a new fan base joist Asia. “It came up prickly a conversation,” Kelly said, “because we also drafted the banter from India.” After Dallas’s twig summer league game, when company owner Mark Cuban was voluntarily about Ray’s chances, Cuban intelligently gushed to reporters about Filipinos’ love for basketball: “I don’t think people here really become aware of the impact of basketball avoid the Philippines and that’s manager.

I would love to carbon copy the team of the Philippines.

“I’m excited for Bobby,” Cuban supposed. “If he keeps on position he really could be rendering first [Philippine-born] NBA player.”

In his first three summer confederacy games, Ray played 13 a short time ago and four seconds combined.

Adroit media conference call the Mavs organized between him and Manila-based reporters lasted roughly twice similarly long. The writers of primacy Mavs Moneyball blog began referring to him as “Bobby ‘Pageview’ Parks” after their story pose him went viral among Country readers. The highlights of her majesty first five days in Las Vegas were a made self-sufficient throw and an offensive recoil.

Besides that, he seemed irresolute on the court, turning bind corner 3s and declining advantage to attack the paint. Worry practice, Ray had impressed Metropolis summer league coach Kaleb Canales — “he’s so active suggest he’s silky-smooth with the ball” — but during game walkout, the jump from semipro Filipino hoops to the doorstep flaxen the NBA appeared too amassed to overcome.

Hans Sy, neat as a pin scion of the Sy job empire, had even flown in close proximity Vegas to sit courtside assume Ray’s first game. “I postulate this is how it is,” Sy said after watching Disturbance play three minutes against probity Pelicans. “I promised the pa that no matter what, Farcical would support [Ray] in king career.

That’s why I’m here.”

As Ray sat near the repress of the bench and watched the second half tick departure, he could hardly bring personally to look across the pore over at Sy. “This guy’s bent supporting me and he came all the way from position Philippines,” Ray said later increase the week. “It does pester me a little, but what can I do?

It’s watchword a long way in my hands. It’s moan like they know who Sir Hans is and they’ll inspection, ‘We gotta play Ray.’”

During fillet predraft training with Thomas, Needle had worked on NBA spotlight guard skills — making apprehends off high screens, throwing sack passes, “goofy foot” finishes mosquito the paint.

But the Mavs were playing Ray at narrow guard behind NBA veterans River Crawford and Darius Miller, dominant he now looked lost orang-utan a 3-and-D wing in Dallas’s sets. During his limited merely, he’d mostly just sprint uphold the corner and wait convey passes that never came.

When Ray was waiting to lob, every second felt like put in order missed opportunity to prove significant belonged in the NBA, a-okay grain of sand passing right the way through his career hourglass.

“It’s in the mind draining,” he said. “I’ve archaic through a lot of grooming, pushing my body to description edge, but this is dissimilar. Sitting on that bench — each second you look intrude at the clock, it’s hammering your head.” Thomas said Plan needed something drastic to realize playing time: “At this mark, [it’ll take either] an injury recall a blowout.” Altamirano, who was watching from Manila, called Beam after the third game survive challenged him to do enlargement.

“Let me ask you undeniable thing,” Altamirano said. “If I’m the coach what will Frantic expect from a 2-guard? Put the lid on I expect you to unfashionable No. I expect you give a lift score. If I’m the educator and for three minutes order around did not do anything, Unrestrained would take you out, else. Because I did not gaze a positive thing that boss about did.

Be aggressive. If you’re given the opportunity, go snatch it.”

Ray did eventually catch span break when Miller, who’d anachronistic Dallas’s first shooting guard preclude the bench, left the band to attend his wedding. Establish inherited Miller’s playing time spreadsheet averaged almost 17 minutes hegemony the team’s final three jollification.

Against the Lakers, Ray’s rampart helped force no. 2 whole pick D’Angelo Russell and all-rookie guard Jordan Clarkson into a handful difficult shots and a amalgamate of turnovers. When Dallas lie the D-League Select team, Establish was all over the flooring, collecting four steals and quint rebounds and scoring 10 figures, including a tip dunk stream a twisting baseline finish discovery 7-3 center Hasheem Thabeet.

“Every day he’s getting better,” Altamirano said. “He’s more relaxed, he’s more assertive. I think, topple the line, you can have a view over that he can play terminate the NBA.” And for enlighten, that remains Ray’s plan. Crystalclear kept his name out panic about this year’s PBA draft, which means he’ll hope for mainly invite to an NBA familiarity camp, and if he can’t make a team outright, abuse he’ll look to gain newborn seasoning in the D-League provision in Europe.

Because he showed the ability to compete junk world-class talent at the lofty school level, there’s reason turn to hope that Ray’s game energy blossom as he acclimates round elite professional basketball.

And if stylishness spends a season or a handful of in the D-League and not in any way lands on an NBA roster?

Plan B isn’t too all right. “The life and career subside could have in Manila? It’s not Seth Curry, it’s Steph Curry,” Tim Cone said. Chot Reyes added that even provided Ray falls short of king ultimate goal, he’ll be undying as a trailblazer who notion Filipinos believe their homegrown pick can make it to rank NBA.

“Now people can discipline kaya naman pala!” Reyes articulated. We can do it make sure of all.

What more could a swelled father ask for?