CHICAGO – The Final 12 list that lingered from the depths of secrecy for weeks was finally laid out in the open today.
What SPIN.ph reported yesterday became official.
Ray Parks, Thirdy Ravena, Calvin Oftana and Chris Newsome are out of the 2023 FIBA World Cup roster.
Which means Gilas Pilipinas will roll with Jordan Clarkson, Scottie Thompson, Dwight Ramos, Kiefer Ravena, Japeth Aguilar, June Mar Fajardo, AJ Edu, Kai Sotto, Jamie Malonzo, CJ Perez, Roger Pogoy, and Rhenz Abando.
SEE: Gilas Pilipinas Final 12 for the Fiba World Cup
Like moths drawn to a flame, armchair coaches at home and keyboard analysts on their phones assembled on various social media platforms to spew a mixed bag of emotions.
But no one was right. And no one was wrong, either.
BECAUSE LISTS ARE NEVER PERFECT, BEHOLDEN TO OUR OWN BIASES AND WARPED BY THE EXPECTATIONS OF OTHERS.
We can disagree on who is the better wing, the more accurate shooter, the more feasible back-up point guard, et cetera. Yet here's what we can agree on:
None of us were inside the training pool. None of us have visceral knowledge on how the players moved, played and interacted with one another, all of which were the basis coach Chot Reyes and his coaching staff used as lynchpin to hammer down their final dozen.
In other words, we know less than what we don't know.
So instead of criticizing, I join my colleague Snow Badua in his call for a ceasefire on all negative talks pertaining to Gilas in deference to the upcoming World Cup. As hosts of the event, Snow is right to infer that pelting on our own product is bad optics.
One nation. One team.
WHY ALL THE KIEFER RAVENA HATE?
As expected, the hate meter spiked when Kiefer Ravena was included in the roster. And I don't get it.
Kief has been associated with our national team since he was 12 years old, Badua said on last week's SPIN POV episode. In some countries, such extended loyalty to service is revered, not diminished.
Look, I would have understood all of the vitriol if Ravena played like garbage. But he doesn't, in fact Kief is an established Japan B.League player who is good enough that his team pays him around a reported $35,000 a month.
So here's my theory why Kiefer has so many haters.
He's good-looking. rich, kissed by the basketball gods. And he also has a smoldering hot girlfriend -- Kholeen Ortiz-- in his arms.
If I were a listless vessel, I'd hate him, too.
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