Ray Parks Jr. officially became the latest Filipino cager to take his talents to Japan after signing with the Nagoya Diamond Dolphins of the B.League.
The Dolphins announced the deal Tuesday, Aug. 24 as Parks joins a growing list of Filipinos who have opted to accept the lucrative challenge of succeeding in the Land of the Rising Sun.
Parks’ move came more than a month after a contract dispute with TNT Tropang Giga ended when the PBA team granted his release.
“It is my honor and privilege to represent our team and I can't wait to get out there and compete and do our best to bring home a championship to the city of Nagoya,” Parks said in a press release. “I’m excited to meet my teammates, management, and most especially all the fans.”
Nagoya went 32-24 in last season’s B.League for fourth in the Western Conference, but missed out on a spot in the six-team playoffs.
Playing overseas is no stranger for Parks, who played for the Dallas Mavericks in the 2015 NBA Summer League and the Texas Legends of the G-League in 2016.
The 28-year-old is the fifth Filipino to sign with a Japanese club in the current B.League offseason, following the lead of Thirdy Ravena who completed his maiden season with the San-En Neophoenix.
Javi Gomez de Liano signed with the Ibaraki Robots while younger brother Juan and Gilas Pilipinas pool member Kemark Carino signed with second division teams Earthfriends Tokyo Z and Aomori Wat’s.
The most prominent was Ravena’s brother Kiefer, who will join the Shiga Lakestars following his campaign with the NLEX Road Warriors in the PBA Philippine Cup.
Kiefer’s signing didn’t come without controversy after the PBA initially barred his bid to play for Shiga before he and the league were able to come into terms.