Ray Parks to skip PBA Draft ceremony for Alab game

DELAYED DEBUT. Ray Parks will likely see action in the PBA in May or June next year. Photo by Michael Gatpandan/Rappler

MANILA, Philippines – Consensus top 3 PBA prospect Bobby Ray Parks Jr will skip the 2018 Rookie Draft to play for Alab Pilipinas in the Asean Basketball League (ABL) on Sunday, December 16.

Parks, who won two ABL Most Valuable Player awards and led Alab to a championship this year, attended the first day of the Draft Combine on Wednesday, but PBA commissioner Willie Marcial said the 25-year-old won't attend the ceremony this weekend.

The Draft is set Sunday afternoon at Robinsons Place Manila, the same day Alab will battle Indonesian squad CLS Knights in Surabaya.

Parks will also miss the entire 2018 PBA Philippine Cup – just like last year's top pick Christian Standhardinger of San Miguel Beer – as the highly-touted 6-foot-4 combo guard opted to honor his contract with Alab. (READ: Ray Parks enters PBA like a vet: 'I don't really consider myself a rookie’)

With the star-powered Alab expected to have another deep playoff run in their title defense campaign, Parks will most probably debut midway through the PBA Commissioner's Cup around May or June 2019. – Rappler.com