Basketball player Ray Parks with wife-to-be Zeinab Harake during a prenuptial shoot. –ZEINAB HARAKE INSTAGRAM
MANILA, Philippines — Ray Parks Jr. is focusing on wedding preparations with fiancée Zeinab Harake and spending time with their family while on a break from the Japan B.League.
Parks, who announced his engagement to the YouTube star last July, expressed excitement for their wedding, which Harake said in March is expected to take place within the year.
READ: Ray Parks’ Japan B.League return ‘still up in the air’
“Things are almost there. Almost there. There’s a lot of planning involved, a lot of just trying to iron things out. It’s just good that I’m here now, that we can focus on it together,” Parks told reporters.
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The B.League guard added that the short distance between Japan and the Philippines made it easier for him to help his fiancée whenever they needed to attend to wedding matters.
Parks, who played his fourth season with Osaka Evessa, said he’s “still up on negotiations” about his B.League future and that his current focus is on family and the “big things coming up.”
Ray Parks Jr. with his Osaka Evessa teammates during a Japan B.League game. –B.LEAGUE PHOTO
Over the past few days, Harake asked fans for wedding hashtag suggestions, and the couple enjoyed the witty responses from their supporters.
The Filipino-American guard, who averaged 13.6 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 2.8 assists last season, also bonded with his son Lucas at the B.Hope Asia Jr. Basketball Clinic during the league’s final week celebration in Manila at Gateway Mall.
“Whatever he decides to do, I will support him. And all I can do is, if he does decide to play basketball, I’ll guide him the best way I can, but this is not an easy road for sure. But if he’s passionate enough to do it, I’ll support him,” said Parks. “He says his favorite sport is basketball. So this summer, we got a lot of work to do in the gym. Just try to spend more time with him.”
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Parks and clinic supervisor Shinji Tomiyama led basketball drills for around 50 children—a mix of local Filipino basketball club members and Japanese students.
“It’s amazing to see the next generation of hoopers. They’re passionate, they came out here, competed, they played hard. They listened. So I’m excited for the next generation of hoopers out here,” Parks said.
“The best part, you see the passion in their eyes. Honestly, you see that they wanna learn, they’re hungry, and literally, I mean, like I said, they’re not pros yet. They’re not paid to do this, but they’re coming here of their own will, because they love the game of basketball.”
