MANILA, Philippines - Sinabi ni Kobe Paras, nakatakdang lumipat sa UCLA na handa siyang lumaro para sa Gilas Pilipinas kung siya ay iimbitahan pero sa ngayon ay kailangan muna niyang magtapos ng high school sa Cathedral College sa Los Angeles.
“If ever I’m asked to play for Gilas, I’ll always be ready. The national team is the best team to play for because you’re representing your country and you play against different countries,” ani Paras.
Kuwento ni Paras, bago siya magpunta sa US, binilin siya ng kanyang amang si Benjie, ang natatanging PBA Rookie MVP Awardee. “My dad told me to just play my game, focus, maximize every chance to play and thank God for this blessing,” aniya. “I’m re-presenting the Philippines in a foreign country so I want to make my country proud.”
Sinabi ni Paras, 17-gulang na sapul nang lumipat siya sa Cathedral noong nakaraang taon, lumaki na siya mula 160 patungong 205 pounds pero hindi naapektuhan ang kanyang speed at mobility.
“The extra weight is all in the legs,” sabi ni Paras. “Our coach (William Middlebrooks) wants us to be in tip-top condition so we’re constantly running, doing drills. He encourages us to dunk. I’ve gotten stronger. At Cathedral, I’ve learned more about game management. I’m able to read the floor better and play more cohesively with my teammates. I used to play four with La Salle Greenhills. Now, I play one, two and three. I see myself playing two guard a lot more in my senior year.”
Ayon kay Paras, dahil pisikal ang laro sa Pinas, hindi siya nahirapang mag-adjust sa laro ng mga Amerikano. “It’s an advantage that I’m used to playing physical,” aniya. “Some guys get easily annoyed by the physicality but I just play through it.”
Ang pinaka nami-miss ni Paras ay ang mga fans sa Pinas. “It’s different in the Philippines because we’re all crazy about basketball,” aniya. “From high school to college to the PBA to Gilas, our basketball fans are the best in the world. I think American fans are great, too, but the following in high school is different from college and the NBA.”