A Still Undefeated TNT: A Team that Will Continue to Rise

"That team is not on the rise. That team will continue to rise" that's how Aaron Atayde referred to the remaining undefeated team in the 2020 Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) Philippine Cup: the TNT Tropang Giga. 

Jump Thru Hoops aired another episode on Tuesday with Jinno Rufino and Aaron Atayde chatting with Bobby Ray Parks Jr. of the Tropang Giga live from the PBA bubble in Clark. Fives games into their campaign, TNT sits atop the 12-team standings with a 5-0 slate And in the words of Jinno Rufino, "The two teams that looked like they are enjoying themselves the most on and off the floor are the top two teams inside the bubble"

Ray Parks, who scored a career-high 40 points in his first game inside the bubble, pointed out the importance of spending time with the team that paved the way for "TNT to look so awesome" For the son of the late Bobby Parks, "In order to gain somebody's trust, you have to be really intimate with them and really get to know them off the floor. It's more than just basketball when it comes to us because we wanna check on 'How you're doing? How you're doing health-wise? How's your family? How your kids are doing?' and we genuinely care about that" He then shared what he learned from his former coach with Alab Pilipinas in Coach Jimmy Alapag. "It's really easier to run through a wall for a guy that you know would run through the wall for you too" 

Parks also revealed how great team consultant Mark Dickel really is as a friend with Parks saying, "Coach Mark is a great guy. He is about business but at the same time, he could be the best of friends. He's definitely an energizer and he's a motivator. His mind when it comes to basketball is ridiculous" 

Having a great leader in Mark Dickel coupled with the chemistry of the team points to what Atayde said, "That's why when it's on the court, it seems that you guys are very natural as well"

No wonder why TNT looks like a team that will continue to rise. 

Screenshot is from pinoyliga.com Facebook page