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MANAMA (Bahrain) – This will not be your typical Philippine team in the 2021 FIBA Asia Cup Qualifiers. They will be talented as usual, but one thing that will stand out is how young the players will be. There is a possibility that none of the players who take the field in this window are over 25 years old.
Perhaps that is why loyal Gilas fans are so much anticipating the time to start the games. It will be a moment that marks the arrival of a new wave of players, on their way to stardom and glory for the national team.
Players also can’t wait to get back on the court, considering how much time has passed.
“It feels great,” said Kobe Paras, a young Filipino on the rise who has had his eye on him during his youth.
Paras also pointed to the long absence of basketball in everyone’s life, but adds that he is “just grateful for the opportunity to represent the flag once again with my teammates and coaches.”
Fans have seen Paras dress for the national team from time to time, but never for the national team at a FIBA Asia senior men’s event. The excitement for his debut is mutual.
“I’m really grateful,” emphasizes Paras once again. “Anyone in my country would want to be in my position. The least I can do is play hard in every game and represent the country in the right way while playing with my teammates.”
Although the 23-year-old has been known for his high-flying antics since high school, he doesn’t expect his first basket to be a thunderous traffic jam. It would probably be nice, but Paras is focusing more on the big picture.
“I hope to get an assist first or even a rebound. There is more to basketball than just taking baskets,” the 6’6 “forward humbly said.
Paras knows there will be a lot of excitement and anticipation for his first basket (or assist or rebound). He knows what it’s like to have fans raving about a certain moment, game, or player. He’s a boy who plays basketball and his name is Kobe, so of course he gets it. But for these upcoming games, he just wants the fans to sit back, relax, and enjoy themselves.
“… I would just tell the fans to appreciate what they see and just watch. I always tell people this; their expectations, their disappointment,” he said, also mentioning how long the team has been off the pitch. before the preparations.
Nonetheless, Kobe Paras is expected to be ready to shine. He has long been a part of the national team program and has received great advice and experience from the many talented veterans around him.
“Matthew Wright, Gabe Norwood and Kiefer Ravena are some of the older people I can talk to. We don’t talk very often, but we all understand what it takes to represent the country,” he said.
Paras will have its turn to lead and advise in this window as one of the relatively older and more experienced players on the team. He will be one of the team’s driving forces as they face familiar enemies in the coming days when the Philippines take on Thailand on November 27-30.
The athletic wing was quick to praise Thailand as one of the “great teams run by incredible coaches” and that they “play hard” and “play the right way.”
“I am excited to compete.”
Everything returns to that. The emotion.
Kobe is excited to compete.
We’re pretty sure fans are excited to see him and the Philippines give their all as well.
FIBA
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