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    Thirdy Ravena glad to blaze a trail for Pinoy players in B.League

    Since Thirdy made the jump, 11 more Filipino players have made the move to Japan. Hoping for more to come, he says
    Sep 29, 2022
    Dwight Ramos, Thirdy and Kiefer Ravena, Bobby Ray Parks
    PHOTO: fiba.basketball

    A TOTAL of 12 Filipino basketball players are set to display their skills in the B.League, and almost all of them are thanking the Ravena brothers for serving as the defacto Filipino ambassadors of basketball to Japan.

    Since Thirdy Ravena was signed by the San-En NeoPhoenix as the first-ever Filipino import under the Asian Player Quota in 2020, numerous players have called up his or brother Kiefer's number for advice on a similar move.

    "Well of course I’m very happy that I got my Filipino brothers here with me in Japan right now and everyone can see how great of a league the B.League is. I just want to say thank you to the league for accepting us Filipinos and other Asian countries out here. Hoping for more Filipinos to come," Thirdy said on Tuesday.

    [READ: Thirdy pushes back over 'feeling patriot' broadside]

    "Whichever path they choose, just know that Japan is always a nice place to be in, and the league is always evolving, always looking for ways on how to develop not just the players, but the league, and make it stronger and stronger every single year," he added.

    Treading into uncharted territory is never easy, but veteran and relative newcomers alike have the Ravenas to serve as guides on seeking greener pastures.

    "When I first came, I was asking how’s Japan, how’s the league. I was coming from college and he just came from college, so it’s like I wanted to ask him about his first year experience and see how it was before I came," recalled Dwight Ramos, who will be playing for Levanga Hokkaido.

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      "I just wanted to wrap my head around playing abroad and in Japan. Definitely had a lot of questions and Thirdy answered every single one of them, so I truly appreciate him for that," added Ray Parks, Jr., who is in his second year playing for the Nagoya Diamond Dolphins.

      Even Justine Baltazar, who will be playing for the Hiroshima Dragonflies, was all ears to what Kiefer had to say during Gilas practice sessions.

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      "[Baltazar] just came from college, and I was just looking out for him. Matthew [Wright's] old, so he didn't need it. So, with Justine, it was really giving him advice that will make him and his family have a better opportunity in the future," said Kiefer.

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      "He has his family over here, which is awesome. He still gets to be with his kid and his wife. So that's basically what I said, and probably what Thirdy said before as well."

      As Ramos noted, things are looking bright in the Land of the Rising Sun for Filipino imports.

      "The league just keeps getting better and stronger. Not only the imports are getting better but also the Japanese players. I think that just goes to show how the league’s improving and also basketball here in Japan is improving also," he explained.

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      PHOTO: fiba.basketball
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