Bobby Ray Parks hailed PBA Rookie of the Month

Parks guided his team into three wins during their first four games of the season, averaging 23.5 points, 4.8 rebounds, 3.3 assists, and 1.8 steals per game. (File Photo: Blackwater Elite/Facebook)

Parks guided his team into three wins during their first four games of the season, averaging 23.5 points, 4.8 rebounds, 3.3 assists, and 1.8 steals per game. His best match was against the Barangay Ginebra, scoring a total of 28 markers during the overtime match against the defending champions.

With this title, the former National University (NU) Bulldog is dethroning May’s Rookie of the Month, Columbian Dyip’s CJ Perez. The Lyceum of the Philippines graduate totals 24.3 points, 6.0 rebounds, and 2.0 assists per game for the Dyip, but was dominated by Parks during their matchup last May 26. In that Elite victory, Parks contributed 23 points, five rebounds, and five assists, while Perez was limited to 17 points and seven rebounds, despite Perez being the number one pick of the 2018 PBA Rookie Draft over second-chosen Parks.

Parks is the third player of the season to be awarded as Rookie of the Month, following Perez, who scored the title in January, February, and May, and Elastopainter Javee Mocon who was recognized for his performances for Rain or Shine in February and March.

Recently, the son of ex-pro import Bobby Parks has made headlines for allegedly declining to play for the Gilas Pilipinas due to different priorities, which he clarified to the media in a mix of English and Filipino saying, “First of all, I didn’t decline due to different priorities. I got embarrassed, but not because of other priorities.” He explained, “ It’s just my first conference in the PBA, Blackwater allowed me to finish my ABL stint, and I’m very thankful. And then now, we don’t have an import and I’ll be gone, I think it’s not right for Blackwater.” When referring to his embarrassment, he continued, “ I feel embarrassed about taking the spot of the players who played in the qualifiers and worked hard to get our spot at the World Cup.”