Ray Parks Jr. is savoring a fourth SEA Games gold medal after helping Gilas Pilipinas beat Thailand in the finals.
Ray Parks Jr. sees Gilas Pilipinas' latest SEA Games 2025 conquest as the most challenging one.
One better believe Parks when he makes such a claim since he was part of three national teams that won gold medals in the multi-sport spectacle.
“It’s definitely the hardest one, for sure,” Parks said moments after Gilas’ thrilling 70-64 win over host Thailand at the Nimibutr Stadium Friday, Dec. 19.
[RELATED STORY: SEA Games: Robert Bolick says flip-flopping eligibility rules fired up ‘Team C’ Gilas]
The tests for Gilas began even before it stepped on the court.
The team needed to go through last-minute changes to eligibility rules, giving the. little to no time to prepare for their title-retention drive in the biennial meet.
[RELATED STORY: SBP relieved as Gilas Men finalize SEA Games roster after several eligibility changes]
Still, the Nationals powered through behind Parks, who needed to take a back seat from scoring to put a premium on his defensive duties.
“It feels good to represent the country. At the end of the day, whatever the team needed me to do, that's what I did,” Parks said.
“We defended well. That’s our identity. It’s the only way we were going to be able to win the game. We got a bunch of great and talented scorers here, but I said defense wins championships. And we got the goal; we got the job done.”
Ultimately, Parks hopes that their team, who stood together despite difficulties, will send a message to the country to also unite.
“Para rin 'to sa buong bayan natin. Kailangan talaga natin ‘to ngayon. Sa panahon ngayon, magandang magkaisa tayo. So it’s beautiful na in the game of basketball, nagawa natin,” Parks said.
(With reports from Nic Earnshaw/Cignal)
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Like most sportswriters, Jan Ballesteros once dreamed of becoming a professional hooper. But he learned the hard way that it’s not for everyone.
He continues to be involved in the sport he loves, but this time as a member of the PBA Press Corps. Aside from primarily covering the PBA, he is also assigned to cover Gilas Pilipinas.