BOBBY Ray Parks immediately showed his mettle by leading Blackwater to three straight victories to jumpstart its PBA Commissioner’s Cup campaign.
The No. 2 overall pick in the last rookie draft finally made his league debut and in a span of a week, averaged 23.7 points, 5.3 rebounds, 3.0 assists, and 2.3 steals in three games – all victories by the fast-starting Elite.
The numbers speak volumes of the talent of the 26-year-old guard out of National University, who bagged his first PBA Press Corps-Cignal Player of the Week honor after his first week as a PBA player.
The 6-foot-4 Parks bested NorthPort’s Sean Anthony and Anthony Semerad for the weekly citation as he also submitted a high 37 percent clip from three-point range (7 of 19) and 82 percent from the foul line (18 of 22).
The Blackwater rookie suited up in his first PBA game during the conference opener on May 19 against Meralco and quickly made his presence felt by scoring 20 points and grabbing eight rebounds in a 94-91 overtime win.
Five days later, Parks proved his first game was no fluke after taking charge in the extra period as the Elite made it back-to-back wins by turning back defending champion Barangay Ginebra, 108-107.
The son of the late legendary PBA import Bobby Parks scattered 28 points, including 10 in overtime capped by two three-pointers that allowed the Elite to take control of the game for good.
Parks capped the winning stretch by coming through with 23 points, five rebounds, and five assists in a 118-110 Blackwater win over Columbian Dyip.
The streak of 20 points or more by Parks in his first three games made him the first rookie in 22 years to achieve the feat or since top pick Andy Seigle did it with Mobiline in 1997, as per PBA chief statistician Fidel Mangonon III.
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