Kobe Paras, the son of Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) superstar Benjie Paras, is already drawing huge attention in the United States because of his basketball skills.
Paras transferred from his hometown in the Philippines to Los Angeles earlier in 2014 to study and play basketball for Cathedral High School in Los Angeles. He already committed to play for the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) in the NCAA. Paras is well on his way to pursue his dream of becoming an NBA player, based on a report by GMA Network.
Paras has a huge chance of getting into the NBA if he continues gaining experience and improving his stats. His first game was at Staples Center. Before moving to the United States, the 6'6" Paras bagged the FIBA 3x3 Slam Dunk Contest. At present, he has become a crowd favorite by frequently showcasing his athleticism and powerful throw downs during games.
However, Los Angeles Times reported that the LA Cathedral Phantoms lost for the second straight time, the most recent against the Bishop Montgomery Knights, with a final score of 76-69, on February 4, 2015.
For the Phantoms, Milan Acquaah scored 25 points, Paras added 18 points and Lucas Siewert had 14. Bishop Montgomery's star Stephen Thompson Jr. scored 25 points with six rebounds and four assists. The shooting guard only scored six points in the first half but exploded with 19 in the second. Thompson scored six straight points in the last minute to break the 69-tie.
The Knights were dominant in the first half with a 29-16 lead. Paras ended the Knights' 10-0 run with a slam dunk then Acquaah hit from beyond the arc to close the gap to 30-29. During halftime, the score was 33-32 in favor of Montgomery.
In the second half, Acquaah and Paras rallied with 10 and 11 points each. In the fourth quarter, Siewert hit a three to give the Phantoms a 62-60 lead but Thompson bounced back and led the Knights to a 7-0 run, sealing their victory.
The two teams last played on January 16, with the Phantoms also losing in their home court with a final score of 76-80. The Knights improve their record to 24-1 and remains undefeated in the Del Rey League.
LA Cathedral's previous loss was against Morgan Park High School in the final week of January, with a final score of 59-68.
LA Cathedral currently has a 17-5 record and is set to redeem themselves at home when they face the Cantrell-Sacred Heart Cardinals on February 6. The Phantoms defeated the Cardinals before in January with a final score of 57-50, based on a report by PhilStar.