MANILA, Philippines — "Individual awards don't make me happy at all," was the first sentence that came from Kobe Paras when asked about his recent MVP plum in the Buddha's Light International Association (BLIA) Cup in Taiwan.
Being able to contribute and help his team win, Paras said, is what truly mattered with the UP Fighting Maroons sweeping their way to the title.
"It's basketball, it's not tennis, it's not chess where [may] isang player lang. So I'm just happy that I did my part to help the team win," he said.
The second-generation Fighting Maroon was a force to be reckoned with in Taiwan, averaging 19.6 points per game and a whopping 37-point outing in the Finals.
But Paras was quick to deflect the credit to his teammates.
"I told the team MVP is for the Most Valuable People and they're the most valuable people in my life. They've helped me a lot," he said.
UP's BLIA Cup title came a couple of months before Paras makes his UAAP debut with the Fighting Maroons.
After UP's Cinderella run to the Finals last year, they're definitely a team to watch out for.
"I'm excited. I haven't been a part of a big tournament in a while," Paras said.
"I'm just grateful that God gave me basically a third chance in life and in basketball. So I'm just excited to play with my brothers," he added.