A Vet With A Ring, Paul Parks Makes Fresh Start To Bring Banner To Medora Timberjacks
Medora, Indiana - This strong take isn’t meant as a slight to Tyrese Haliburton and Andrew Nembhard with the Indiana Pacers, or Elfrid Payton and Kyle Mangas for the Indiana Mad Ants.
It’s not a knock on Trey Galloway and Xavier Johnson at the University of Indiana, or Isaiah Swope and Ryan Conwell for Indiana State University.
It’s also not a ploy to overlook highschool cats on the come up like Taden Metzger and Millen Mccartney for the top ranked Fishers Tigers.
Instead, it’s safe to say that the best backcourt in the state of Indiana now belongs to The Basketball League’s Medora Timberjacks who boasts a prolific one-two punch this 2024 season thanks to veteran guard Greg Foster and newest addition, Paul Parks, forming a talented tag team. The Foster – Parks connection goes beyond their past TBL All-Star selections and Parks’ championship ring and has morphed into a tight bond that was shaped over a long offseason and the desire to play together.
From the NBA, to the NBA GLeague, college and high school hoops across the Hoosier state, the discussion now apparently extends to the TBL.
“There’s no backcourt like Paul Parks and PJ Meyers were in Shreveport, and I give my flowers to Chuck Guy and Deshawn Munson (Potawatomi Fire), but the best backcourt in the league is the Timberjacks’ ‘Paul and Greg’,” Parks said in a one-one-one interview with Around The Basketball League.
Paul would know. Over the last two seasons in TBL, the point guard out of Point University has been one of the toughest and productive players in the league to lace them up for the Shreveport Mavericks, who won it all in 2022 and were poised to repeat last season. In 2023, Parks finished with 26.4 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 2.4 assists per game in 19 games for the Mavs.
But then something happened at the start of the playoffs: Parks left the team.
Disappointment had settled in.
It had been building up for months. It was time to move on. It was time for a fresh start.
Recently, Parks spoke about the decision to leave the Mavericks last season, the choice to begin a new journey with the Timberjacks, and the chance to partner with Greg Foster in bringing veteran leadership to Medora, with all eyes set on bringing a TBL championship to Indiana.
First off, congratulations on signing with Medora and the start of the 2024 season. How ready are you to get back on the court and the season underway?
I appreciate you. It’s a blessing to get back as the TBL continues to grow and get more competitive. New journey, new team, different atmosphere…I am just trying to bond with my teammates on all levels and bring my attributes as a leader and winner to this organization with a great group of guys and new coaches. I like it in Medora.
Was it hard leaving knowing what you helped build there and winning a TBL Championship? When did you know you wouldn’t be returning to Shreveport?
I knew I wouldn't be back after All-Star Break.I wanted to leave then. Yes it was hard definitely. Shreveport was my second home. I was making a name for myself in the community by touching the people I touched there. I love the city. I just wish it could have ended better than it did.
What factored into your decision to move on from the Mavericks?
I didn’t finish the season and I left after the first game in the conference championship round. My mind was already made up that I wasn’t returning, because the business side of the team just seemed like it was folding then. I felt unappreciated in a lot of ways on top of that getting sold dreams.
Are you frustrated at all with how things ended?
I wouldn’t say it’s a frustration. I’m thankful and grateful for the opportunity Shreveport gave me to expand my career. I am just disappointed in how things ended with the love I had for the Mavericks. I wish them nothing but success.
How are you able to shift your focus to the ‘24 season?
It’s a business. You control what you can control. That championship team I built and recruited will always be remembered and stamped in history. That’s the thing that can’t be erased, but it’s also in my past. My focus is on the present and trying to carry that veteran leadership and championship experience to Medora and help us get there this season no matter what my role is here.
How did the offseason go for you and how did the opportunity in Medora come about?
I played overseas (Uruguay and Iraq) but it’s a blessing playing in the States and getting paid. I had a few teams considering having me join their organization, but it just all had to make sense to me. The opportunity came about talking with Greg Foster and while I was playing overseas in Iraq, Medora scheduled a conference call with me. I loved everything they had to offer and the guys they were bringing in.
Greg has a great feel for the game and is a true veteran point guard. Medora was basically his backyard, so a lot of the things he mentioned to me just fit my character. On top of that, he said he always wanted to play with me!
What did you think when Greg told you that?
It’s always amazing to hear other good players saying they like your game and want to play alongside you. We can learn from each other because we are two different types of players. We are two-time all-stars and have the same aspirations of winning. We are building a bond and are about being on the same page, having each other's back. We are going to make the game easier for each other and our teammates.
How are you approaching this season?
The type of player I am, I feel like I can fit anywhere. Definitely a fresh start. It’s a new journey with the same goal: looking to help Medora reach a championship series and bring the ring here.
Wendell Maxey is the author of Around The Basketball League and has written about professional basketball and sports for 20 years. He’s been featured on NBA.com, ESPN.com, USA Today, FOX Sports, and SLAM Magazine among other publications and media outlets. You can connect with him on Twitter and LinkedIn or read through his archive on Linktree. This 2024 season, Wendell will also be a featured writer with the Basketball Super League.