BREAKING his silence following the messy contract standoff, the eventual release from TNT Tropang Giga and signing with the Nagoya Diamond Dolphins in the Japanese B.League, Bobby Ray Parks reiterated that everything was done "in good faith."
"My heart was in the right place when it came to everything, and it was very clear that I want to prioritize my family and take care of my family," he told Radyo5's Power and Play with Noli Eala.
Parks on Saturday said he hoped to clear up the issue, saying he was truthful when he asked for a sabbatical as he really wanted to tend to his family.
"I didn't go into specifics or what or anything like that, but at the end of the day, I did everything with a good heart. People may not understand it right now, or will they ever, probably, but the people around me, and the people nearest and dearest to me, know that my character holds true and that I did everything from a loving standpoint in a sense. So I'll allow the people that I'm nearest to and closest to me to vouch for me and to know my part of the story."
The 28-year-old guard did admit that there was a miscommunication between him and his mother ballclub TNT, which even led to chairman Manny V. Pangilinan to question his true motives — one that he's willing to apologize for.
"You know, when it came to the miscommunications and all that, I'd humble myself and just say I apologize for any misunderstanding, whether it's the TNT family, to the PBA, or even to the fans," he said.
Ray Parks
What hurt him the most, he said, were the accusations that stemmed from that issue, and his character was questioned.
"That's the thing that hurts the most, to be honest," he said. "I'm fine with people crucifying my name and hurting me, but then when it affects the people that I love, that's when it really gets to me because, my mother and my sister were able to read some of these things. And with social media nowadays, things are really out there in the sense of sometimes, we say words that we can't hold these people accountable."
"But then we have to realize that we're all human beings, we all have family, we all have loved ones. And it hurts me seeing my mother cry. It hurts me when my family members say that, gusto kitang ipaglaban. I just want to tell them that you know the truth, you know that what happened, and God is suffering and he will vindicate me and us and pull us through these tough times. At the end of the day, my support cast was great. And I will say, God will vindicate me, I'm doing a great opportunity right now trying to take advantage of this great next chapter."
Parks says he is moving on as he embarks on this new chapter in Nagoya, as the Filipino-American sees action in Japan's B.League.
"I just hope that they give me the benefit of the doubt, that my heart was in the right place, and going forward that they can continue to support me in this journey," he said.
"You may not like me, but hopefully you can still support me as a fellow kababayan na nasa ibang bansa trying to represent our country."
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