Ray Parks Jr. welcomes Japan B.League’s growing presence in PH

Ray Parks Jr. during the Japan B.League Finals Week festivities in Manila. –B.LEAGUE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines—Ray Parks Jr. may not know where he’ll be playing in four months, but one thing is certain: he’s excited for the upcoming Japan B.League Manila Games in September.

Parks Jr., who recently announced his departure from Osaka Evessa, attended the B.League Final Week where organizers unveiled the preseason games set in Manila.

“Nakakatuwa, sobra,” said a beaming Parks Jr. (It’s really exciting.) “Imagine? The B.League is doing such a good job in growing their league and they’re doing it here, where our number one sport is basketball.”

There is still no certainty whether Parks Jr. himself will be in Manila by September as he continues to weigh his options for the next step in his career.

A lot can happen in four months, and while it’s not impossible for him to eventually join either Gunma Crane Thunders or Levanga Hokkaido — the two teams participating in the Manila Games–Parks Jr. said his focus is elsewhere for now.

Instead, he is simply appreciating another major basketball event being hosted in the Philippines, which also staged the 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup.

“It’s really nice to see that we can host B.League games. Hopefully, the B.League grows even more global,” he said.

On September 9 and 10, Dwight Ramos and Levanga take on AJ Edu and Gunma twice at Mall of Asia Arena to prepare for the next season of the Japan B.League.