Gilas fans kept an eye on the fresh and young waves of players, especially of Paras being the standout of his batch. With the public eyes fixated on him right at the beginning of his youth, although hyped by his ball antics, still criticized for not scoring enough for the national team.

The burden he faced brought with his Family name resulted in his hard work always measured against his father, Benjie Paras. His weak scoreboard on his previous Gilas tournaments gained him bad press dismissing him as an overly hyped player who is a flyspeck but a good marketing strategy.

Along with the other cadets, Paras has gained great experiences from his seniors and other veteran coaches in the field.  However, for some reason, his score statistics did not match the hype given by his fans during the second window of the 2021 FIBA Asia Cup qualifiers.

According to the Gilas Pilipinas program director Tab Baldwin, Paras willingly played out of the causing him not scoring much. Even not comfortable with his set-up, the six-foot-six wingman took the sacrifice and did his best for the country.

Although not showcasing his full potential in the second window, he still never complained and did his responsibility as a player. 

He may not be aware of his scoreboard at first because he is busy playing to the best of his abilities.  Scoring only a few in court the public is quick to judge, not minding his hard work for the team.

Being famous has its perks and drawbacks. Overpowered with all the reels, the eye of the public does not spare any faults and slip-up when it comes to him. Every slight mistake intensifies, every good performance is nothing because from the beginning that is what is expected of him to be.

Sometimes, the demands of the peripherals did not do any good for him for it does not help in his room for improvement.

Kobe Paras is still young and has a lot to learn on how to maneuver himself in the court. His turbulent ride in his basketball career is just the beginning. More opportunities to come, likewise with all the adversities he may experience.

Even with all the expectations not met, on the bright side, the Gilas Pilipinas Men team has made a splendid performance sweeping records from Thailand last November and is expected to be in the tournament in February next year for the third window.

There are still a lot of possibilities, still, many believed in Paras and his bright future ahead of the industry.

Truth be told, even top achievers like artists, singers, and other sports’ star players have their share of critics. That does not forestall Paras from reality. After all, someone once said, Wolves don’t lose sleep over the opinion of sheep.