MANILA, Philippines — Kobe Paras may be a high school basketball star in the United States but he did not deny that entering showbiz like his parents did may be part of his future plans.
Kobe's father, Benjie, joined show business after a successful career in professional basketball, while his biological mother, Jackie Forster, was an actress. His older brother, Andre, has also graced the silver screen.
Kobe, who plays for the LA Cathedral Phantoms, said that while the entertainment industry is there, academics and sports are high on his priority list.
"Puwede rin pagkatapos. Pero as of now I'm focused on my school and basketball," Kobe said in an interview aired Monday on ABS-CBN.
Kobe also brushed aside critics who expressed opinions on how he should handle his career.
"If they're hating on me, I just don't mind them because nothing else is gonna happen to me," Kobe said. "All I listen to is my dad and my coach because whatever happens they're the ones who [have] been through everything."
He said living in LA made communication with his family difficult, but they try to make it "constant."
"Mahirap lang kasi sa time difference but when we have time to talk, we talk all the time," Kobe said.