ANTIPOLO – For the second time in the PBA 50th Season Governors' Cup, Rafi Reavis played against Magnolia, the team that once had him on its roster for nearly two decades.
Reavis was on the floor for one minute and 43 seconds for his new squad Phoenix Super LPG against the Hotshots in their second round game on Tuesday. Last July 11 in their first round encounter, he also played for five seconds and managed to grab a single rebound.
That was the first time he played against Magnolia after suiting up for the franchise for 16 years. He won seven titles, including the Grand Slam in 2013-14 when the team was still named San Mig Coffee.
Needless to say, the Hotshots have a special place in Reavis' heart, even though he now finds himself on the opposite side with the Fuel Masters.
“Once you’ve been there so long, the guys become more than teammates, more than co-workers. They’ll always be family,” the 49-year-old Reavis said.
Prior to Magnolia, Reavis played for Coca-Cola from 2002 to 2026 and Barangay Ginebra from 2006 to 2009. He also saw action for the San Juan Knights in the defunct Metropolitan Basketball Association (MBA) during the late '90s.
He represents a rare breed of PBA player who stayed with one team for the majority of his career - and he doesn’t take it for granted.
“It’s a blessing to be with one franchise,” added Reavis, whose accomplishments while seeing action for Magnolia includes being part of the All-Defensive Team in 2018.
“A lot of guys don’t last in the league for 16 years, but to be with one franchise that long, I don’t take it lightly. Having great bosses like RSA (Ramon Ang), boss Al [Chua], great management like Magnolia, just world-class. Doesn’t get any better than that.”
At the same time, fans do not make him forget, too.
“Sometimes, I’m walking around the street, and something like that, people still associate me with Magnolia because I’ve been there so long. Then, you feel like ‘Oh yeah, I’m on a different team now,’” he said.
Rafi, the Fuel Master
Still, it was all-business when it came to facing his former teammates
The last time around, he even matched up with Ian Sangalang, the player he backed up during his latter years with the Hotshots.
“Once the ball goes up in the air, it’s all about the game, and it’s all about the team that you represent on the front of your jersey. And then, after the game, we are all friends and family again,” Reavis said.
Now with Phoenix, Reavis continues to embrace a leadership role and mentoring a young group of talents.
“That’s just my personality,” he said. “That’s just the way I’ve always been my whole career. I was that way with Magnolia, carrying it on to these guys."
“We have a lot of young guys. I’m just trying to share with them the things that I’ve learned and any avenue where I see I can help, I try to do so. I just try to share my expertise with them, anything that can elevate the team, and elevate some of the players that play the same position as me, and maybe they can thrive on the things that I share with them.”
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