DIRECTOR STOCK OPTION AGREEMENT


     THIS STOCK OPTION has been granted effective as of July 24, 1998, by 
METROBANK, N.A., a national banking association (the "Bank"), to 
_____________________ ("Optionee").
                                       
                                    RECITALS

     Effective July 24, 1998, the Board of Directors of the Bank granted this 
non-qualified stock option as a reward for the Optionee's hard work since the 
formation of the Bank to make the Bank a success.

                                     OPTION

     The Bank hereby grants to Optionee the right to purchase shares of 
Common Stock, $5.00 par value ("Common Stock"), from the Bank upon the 
following terms and conditions:

     SECTION 1.  NUMBER OF SHARES.  The Optionee may purchase a total of 
5,000 shares of Common Stock under this option, which may be purchased at any 
time, or from time to time, in whole or in part, until the option term 
expires. The number of shares granted shall be subject to Recapitalization 
Adjustments under the provisions of Section 3.  This option is intended to be 
a non-qualified stock option.

     SECTION 2.  OPTION PRICE.  The Option Price shall be $44.00 per share, 
which, in the good faith belief of the Board of Directors on the date hereof, 
is 100% of the fair market value of a share of the Bank's Common Stock on the 
date of grant.  Such Option Price is subject to Recapitalization Adjustments 
under the provisions of Section 3.  

     SECTION 3.  ADJUSTMENTS TO NUMBER OF SHARES AND OPTION PRICE.  In the 
event of any subdivision or combination of shares of Common Stock, or in the 
event of a stock dividend, capital reorganization, recapitalization, 
consolidation or merger with the Bank as the surviving corporation, such 
Recapitalization Adjustment as the Board of Directors shall deem to be 
appropriate shall be made to the number of shares subject to purchase under 
this Stock Option or to the Option Price with respect to such shares or to 
both.  In particular, the Board of Directors has proposed, subject to 
shareholder approval, (i) the formation of a new bank holding company to be 
named "MetroCorp Bancshares, Inc." (the "Holding Company") and (ii) the 
exchange of all outstanding shares of Common Stock of the Bank on a 
four-for-one basis for shares of Common Stock of the Holding Company.  If the 
Holding Company is successfully formed on the four-for-one exchange basis 
described above, this Stock Option shall be automatically converted into an 
option to purchase 20,000 shares of Common Stock of the Holding Company at an 
Option Price of $11.00 per share, and all references herein to the Bank shall 
be deemed to be references to the Holding Company.



     SECTION 4.  OPTION TERM.  Subject to the provisions of Sections 1 and 6 
herein, the term of this Stock Option shall be for the five (5) year period 
commencing on the date hereof and ending on July, 24, 2003.

     SECTION 5.  TERMINATION OF DIRECTORSHIP.  All rights of a director in 
this option, to the extent that it has not been exercised, shall terminate 
upon the termination of his or her services as a director for any reason 
other than the death of the director or retirement in accordance with the 
Bank policy or retirement because of total and permanent disability.  In the 
case of such a retirement, a director's option shall terminate one (1) year 
after the date of retirement or, if earlier, on the original expiration date 
of the option. Notwithstanding the foregoing, any option granted to a 
director under the Plan and outstanding on the date of the director's death 
may be exercised by the personal representative of the director's estate or 
by the person or persons to whom the option is transferred pursuant to the 
director's will or in accordance with the laws of descent and distribution at 
any time prior to the earlier of the one (1) year after the date of the 
director's death or the original expiration date of such option; upon the 
earlier of such events the option shall terminate. 

     SECTION 6.  LIMITATIONS ON RIGHT TO EXERCISE STOCK OPTION.  The right to 
exercise this Stock Option during the Option Exercise Period shall be subject 
to the following limitations:

          (a)  During the lifetime of the Optionee, no one other than the
     Optionee may exercise this Stock Option.  

          (b)  After the death of the Optionee, this Stock Option may be
     exercised only by a successor Optionee who has become entitled hereunder by
     will or the laws of descent and distribution, and who satisfies the Bank of
     his or her entitlement under such will or laws.  

          (c)  There shall be no right to exercise this Stock Option with
     respect to a fractional share.

     SECTION 7.  PAYMENT FOR STOCK.  The Optionee may pay the Option Price in 
cash or its equivalent or by exchanging shares of Common Stock of the Bank 
previously acquired by Optionee.  

     SECTION 8.  MANNER OF EXERCISE OF STOCK OPTION.  Any exercise of this 
Stock Option must be given by notice in writing to the President of the Bank. 
Such notice must specify the number of shares of Common Stock covered by 
the exercise and must be accompanied by payment in full consideration for the 
shares as to which they are exercised in one or a combination of the 
following alternative forms:

          (a)  cash (including check, bank draft or money order); 

          (b)  shares of Common Stock previously acquired and held for at least
     six (6) months and standing in the name of the director equal in value on
     the date of exercise to the Option Price of the shares being exercised
     hereunder; or 


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          (c)  by delivering a properly executed exercise note together with
     irrevocable instructions to a broker to deliver promptly to the Bank the
     total Option Price in cash.  

If the value of the shares tendered is less than the Option Price, any 
balance shall be paid in cash or its equivalent.  If the value of a 
certificate for shares tendered is in excess of the Option Price, the excess 
representing any fraction of a share value will be refunded to Optionee in 
cash by the Bank, and any excess representing whole share values will be 
refunded to Optionee by the issuance of a new Stock certificate representing 
such whole shares.  If the Optionee desires that the shares of Common Stock 
be registered in his name and that of another as joint tenants with right of 
survivorship, he should so state in the notice.  In no case may fewer than 
one hundred (100) of such shares be purchased at any one time, except to 
purchase a residue of fewer than one hundred (100) shares.  An option may not 
be exercised for a fractional share.  

     SECTION 9.   WITHHOLDING TAXES.  Whenever the Bank is required to issue 
shares of Common Stock hereunder, the Bank shall have the right to require 
the Optionee to remit to the Bank an amount sufficient to satisfy any 
Federal, state and/or local withholding tax requirements prior to the 
delivery of any certificate or certificates for such shares.  Alternatively, 
at the Bank's discretion, the Bank may issue, transfer or vest only such 
number of  shares of Common Stock net of the number of shares sufficient to 
satisfy the withholding tax requirements.  For withholding tax purposes, the 
shares of Common Stock shall be valued on the date the withholding obligation 
is incurred.

     SECTION 10.  COMPLIANCE WITH SECURITIES LAWS.  The Bank shall  not be 
required to sell or issue any shares of Common Stock under the Stock Option 
evidenced hereby if the issuance of such shares shall constitute or result in 
a violation by the Optionee or the Bank of any federal or state securities or 
other laws.  The Bank may, but shall in no event be obligated to, register 
any shares covered hereby pursuant to applicable securities laws of any 
country or political subdivision thereof.  In the event the shares issuable 
on exercise of the Stock Option evidenced hereby are not so registered, the 
Bank may imprint on the certificate representing such shares any legend that 
counsel for the Bank considers necessary or advisable to comply with 
applicable law.

     SECTION 11.  NON-TRANSFER OF STOCK OPTION.  This Stock option is not 
transferable otherwise than by will or the laws of descent and distribution.  

     SECTION 12.  OWNERSHIP OF BANK STOCK AND DELIVERY OF CERTIFICATE.  Upon 
exercise of this Stock Option and payment therefore in accordance with 
Section 8, the Bank shall take prompt action to have the shares of Common 
Stock covered by the particular exercise of this Stock Option issued or 
transferred to the Optionee or to the Optionee and another as joint tenants 
with right of survivorship or to a successor Optionee and such Optionee or 
person shall own such shares of Common Stock covered by the particular 
exercise of this Stock Option from and after the date of their issuance or 
transfer on the books of the Bank, but such person or persons shall have no 
rights as a stockholder of the Bank until such shares of Common Stock are so 
issued or transferred.  The Bank agrees, within a reasonable time thereafter, 
to deliver to the Optionee or successor Optionee 
                                       


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a certificate or certificates evidencing ownership of the shares of Common 
Stock covered by the particular exercise of this Stock Option.

     SECTION 13.  NOTICES AND PAYMENTS.  Any notice to be given by the 
Optionee or Successor Optionee hereunder shall be in writing, and any such 
notice and payment hereunder shall be deemed to have been duly given or made 
only upon receipt thereof by the President of the Bank.  Any notice or 
communication by the Bank hereunder shall be in writing and shall be deemed 
to have been given in the case of the Optionee if mailed or delivered to the 
Optionee at his last known address, or to such other address as the Optionee 
may specify for the purpose by notice in writing to the Bank.  

     SECTION 14.  WAIVER.  The waiver by the Bank of any provision of this 
Stock Option at any time or for any purpose shall not operate as or be 
construed to a waiver of the same or any other provision of this Stock Option 
at any subsequent time or for any other purpose. 

     SECTION 15.  SECTION HEADINGS.  The section headings in this Stock 
Option are for convenience of reference only and shall not be deemed a part 
of, or germane to, the interpretation or construction of this Stock Option.  
 
     SECTION 16.  GOVERNING LAW.  The validity and construction of this Stock 
Option shall be governed by the laws of the State of Texas.
 
     IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Bank has caused this Stock Option to be executed 
by its duly authorized officer on the date first above written.               

                                       METROBANK, N.A.



                                       By:
                                          ------------------------------------

                                          Name:
                                               -------------------------------

                                          Title:
                                                ------------------------------




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