John Leonard "J. L." Parks is a retired American

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 basketball player. He won two national championships at Oklahoma A&M University

Oklahoma State Cowboys men's basketball

The Oklahoma State Cowboys basketball team represents Oklahoma State University in Stillwater, Oklahoma, United States in NCAA Division I men's basketball competition. The Cowboys currently compete in the Big 12 Conference.Since 1938, the team has played its home games in Gallagher-Iba Arena...

 and represented the U.S. as a member of the 1950 FIBA World Championship

1950 FIBA World Championship

The 1950 FIBA World Championship was an international basketball tournament held by the International Basketball Federation in Buenos Aires, Argentina, from October 22 to November 3, 1950. Ten nations participated in the inaugural tournament. All competition was held at the Luna Park, Buenos Aires...

 in Buenos Aires, Argentina

Buenos Aires

Buenos Aires is the capital and largest city of Argentina, and the second-largest metropolitan area in South America, after São Paulo. It is located on the western shore of the estuary of the Río de la Plata, on the southeastern coast of the South American continent...

.

Parks, a 6'0 guard from Pauls Valley, Oklahoma

Pauls Valley, Oklahoma

Pauls Valley is a city in Garvin County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 6,256 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Garvin County.-History:...

, attended Oklahoma A&M from 1944–46 and 1947–49, winning championships with the Aggies in both 1945

1945 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament

The 1945 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament involved 8 schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball. It began on March 22, 1945, and ended with the championship game on March 27 in New York City...

 and 1946

1946 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament

-External links:* on Shrp Sports * , source for much of the information on this page....

 with future Hall of Fame teammate Bob Kurland

Bob Kurland

Robert Albert "Bob" Kurland was a basketball center, who played for Henry Iba's Oklahoma A & M Aggies basketball team...

. When Parks and teammate Bob Harris again led the Aggies to the Final Four in 1949

1949 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament

The 1949 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament involved 8 schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball. It began on March 18, 1949, and ended with the championship game on March 26 in Seattle, Washington...

, Parks became the first player in NCAA history to compete in three Final Fours. Parks was named first team All-Missouri Valley Conference

Missouri Valley Conference

The Missouri Valley Conference is a college athletic conference whose members are located in the midwestern United States...

 in 1946 and 1948, and was named second team all-conference in 1949.

After completing his college eligibility, Parks was drafted by the Indianapolis Olympians

Indianapolis Olympians

The Indianapolis Olympians were a National Basketball Association team based in Indianapolis, Indiana, USA. They were founded in 1949 and folded in 1953. Their home arena was the Hinkle Fieldhouse.-Franchise history:...

 in the 1949 BAA Draft

1949 BAA Draft

The 1949 BAA Draft was the third annual draft of the Basketball Association of America , which later became the National Basketball Association . The draft was held on March 21, 1949 before the 1949–50 season. In this draft, eleven remaining BAA teams along with the Indianapolis Olympians who...

. However, he opted to compete in the Amateur Athletic Union

Amateur Athletic Union

The Amateur Athletic Union is one of the largest non-profit volunteer sports organizations in the United States. A multi-sport organization, the AAU is dedicated exclusively to the promotion and development of amateur sports and physical fitness programs.-History:The AAU was founded in 1888 to...

. He joined the Denver Chevrolets with former teammate Blake Williams

Blake Williams (basketball)

Blake Williams is a retired American basketball player. He won two national championships at Oklahoma A&M University and represented the U.S...

, and in 1950 the team was chosen as the U.S. National team's entry to the first FIBA World Championship

FIBA World Championship

The FIBA World Championship is an international basketball competition contested by the men's national teams of the members of the International Basketball Federation , the sport's global governing body...

 in 1950.

Parks played in all six of the team's matches as the team won their first five games to reach the final against host team Argentina

Argentina national basketball team

The Argentina national basketball team represents Argentina in basketball international competitions, and is controlled by the Argentine Basketball Federation....

. Parks averaged 2.2 points per game for the tournament.