Paras son wins FIBA U-18 slam dunk

MANILA, Philippines - Kobe Paras, son of former two-time PBA MVP Benjie Paras, topped the slam dunk competition against top notch rivals to make up for the team’s heartbreaking exit in the 2013 FIBA Under-18 World 3x3 Championships in Jakarta, Indonesia Sunday night.

Paras, playing out of La Salle-Greenhills, dazzled the crowd, including the judges, when he leapt over teammate Thirdy Ravena of Ateneo while the latter was sitting on a motorcycle for a thunderous dunk in the championship round of one of the side events in the competition.

Paras bested a high-leaping Demonte Flannigan of the US and a taller Antonio Morales of Spain and Sun Ming Hui of China.

Before his final dunk, Paras made a big impression after creatively jumping and then throwing the ball between the legs straight to the backboard where he jumped again for the reverse throwdown in the qualifier.

The victory came on the heels of the Phl team’s exit in the main event, 3x3 competition, where the Filipinos won their first three games against Chinese Taipei, Guatemala and Andorra but lost four straight to China, Bulgaria, Czech Republic and USA.

Meanwhile, the Phl seeks another win against India, set at dawn today (Phl time), hoping to close out the preliminary stage at second in its group in the third FIBA Asia U-16 Championship in Iran.

The Nationals walloped the Japanese, 94-76, Sunday to nail their third win against a loss for a spot in the quarters.

A win over the Indians, who hold a 1-3 (win-loss) slate, would net the Filipinos at least the No. 2 seed in the quarters where they will face the winner of the Iran (2-2)-Bahrain (2-2) duel in the other group.

The Phl also beat Jordan, 73-60, Saturday and Kazakhstan, 90-88, Thursday while dropping a 90-95 decision to Chinese Taipei, 90-95.