MANILA, Philippines – Kobe Paras has joined his B. League team in practice after completing his 14-day quarantine.
One of the eight Filipino players in the Japanese league, Paras was able to be with the Niigata Albirexbb for the first time on Friday.
????Welcome to Niigata????#KobeParas joined the team after a 14-day quarantine.
Let's go Kobe!! Let's go Albirexbb!!!@_kokoparas #albirexbb #???BB #???? #B??? pic.twitter.com/AS0DRLJ3ou— ?????????BB???? (@naxbb_rb) September 24, 2021
"Welcome to Niigata," wrote the team on social media.
Paras' arrival comes a little over a week before the team begins their season.
They will play their first game against Kyoto on Saturday, October 2.
The second-generation basketball star pursued the B. League after leaving the Philippines to train in the US earlier this year.
Paras played one year of collegiate basketball in the UAAP with the UP Fighting Maroons.
He was instrumental to the Maroons' campaign in UAAP Season 82 where they had a third-place finish.
Paras and the Albierxbb will compete in the same conference as Thirdy Ravena and San-En Neo Phoenix.
The former college rivals rekindle their competition on October 9 when their clubs clash.