Ex-Laker Shaw sees NBA stint for Paras

Former Los Angeles Lakers player and one-time coach of the Denver Nuggets Brian Shaw yesterday said he sees a bright future for Kobe Paras, who might be the first homegrown Filipino to play in the NBA.

“Right now there’s a lot of buzz in LA on a young player that’s gonna be attending UCLA next year, Kobe Paras,” said Shaw who is in Manila for the annual NBA Fit program which started yesterday and will culminate tomorrow in Bocaue, Bulacan.

Paras, 17, son of former PBA great Benjie Paras, has been making a lot of noise in the United States where he is playing high school basketball and will soon enter UCLA where he will surely get a lot of attention from NBA scouts.

Shaw has close ties with the city of Los Angeles after winning three titles with the squad as a player during the Shaq-Kobe era before winning two more as an assistant to legendary NBA coach Phil Jackson in 2009 and 2010.

The former NBA guard believes the 6-foot-5 Paras have a bright future.

“Players like that, players that had the opportunity to watch NBA stars, it has help them now and it may be the next wave of stars, or the next star that comes from here that may breakthrough and make it in the NBA,” he said. “I know he has another year in high school so I’m looking forward to when he plays for UCLA to see how he does there.”

Asked whether he has personally seen Paras play, Shaw mentioned that he’s only watched him through his game highlights in the internet.

And despite seeing only small clips of Paras, he already sees a bright future ahead for the former La Salle Greenhills star.

“I’ve seen some videos of him in some games. I’ve heard a lot about him, there’s obviously a lot of buzz. When I came here, people are talking about him. I know he has good size at 6-foot-5. He’s done well over there in some of the camps and in some of the games that he’s played in.”

Shaw will hold basketball clinics while here and observed how passionate Filipinos are for basketball.

“I heard the fans here are very passionate, not only in basketball in general but in the NBA basketball in particular and I’m looking forward to seeing it myself. I just want to share some of the things I’ve learned. I’m not an expert, but I just want to impart the knowledge that I got from the playing and coaching in the NBA.”