What awaits Pinoy players in Japan? Let's ask Thirdy Ravena

Thirdy Ravena shares his Japan takeaways
Jul 9, 2021

THIRDY Ravena wants to make one thing clear: playing in Japan was no out-of-town vacation.

"It's always easy to portray it as 'livin' the life, you're getting paid to play the sport you love, and you get to live in a very nice country,'" he told SPIN Life.

Well, it is true that the 24-year-old was able to get a daily dose of authentic Japanese cuisine and experience firsthand its rich culture. And judging from his Instagram posts, the cool Japanese weather also allowed him to bring out his inner fashionista and layer his outfits.

But this is just one side of the coin, Thirdy said.

"It's definitely a blessing but what people don't see is the amount of work you actually have to put it. What goes on in a daily life of an overseas player? 99 percent of it is not shown on social media," he said.

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    Ravena explained: "You're gonna have your lonely nights and some days when you feel like there's nothing right, but that's part of it. Hindi pwedeng laging maganda 'yung araw mo, but at the end of the day, it's always a great experience to your individual development, career growth —on and off the court."

    In one full season with the San-En NeoPhoenix, he averaged 9.1 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 1.6 assists across 18 games in the B. League.

    Thirdy Ravena in San-En NeoPhoenix

    Thirdy Ravena routine in Japan

    His daily routine was constrained by the limited amount of activities that can be done in his home base, Toyohashi City, as well as the restraints of the pandemic.

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    "I just workout from 8 to 12 p.m., be two hours early in practice, then actual training, have lunch, train again, then that's it, I'm done for the day," he shared, talking about his life in a city that lies in the midpoint between the great metropolises of Tokyo and Osaka.

    The three-time UAAP MVP resides in a provincial-like set-up in the Aichi perfecture. There's not much to see there, he bared, so the only Starbucks in town became his go-to.

    "I live in a farm, a field, wala masyadong magagawa. The most time I spend outside the court would be in Starbucks, we only have one in the city, and the nearest mall is 40 kilometers away, so yeah," he said.

    His advice for Filipinos who want to play in Japan

    More and more Filipino players are opting to play in Japan, with the latest official announcement coming from Javi Gomez de Liano, who was snapped up by the Ibaraki Robots.

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    Meanwhile, his brother Kiefer's case is still up in the air, even if the Shiga Lakestars has already announced that they had signed him up.

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      Many other names have also been rumored to have received offers to play in the Land of the Rising Sun.

      Outside of basketball, Jaja Santiago has had a sensational run in V. League.

      "Regardless of which sport, my best advice would be to enjoy and take your time to have fun during the experience because it goes by so fast," said Thirdy Ravena to anyone who is thinking of heading to Japan.

      "I honestly thought it's going to be a long journey, but hindi pala, I was like 'oh sana pala pumunta ko dito, binista ko 'to,' cause there are things na akala mo kaya mo pa gawin next time, pero biglang tapos na 'yung trip mo."

      "So for me, just enjoy the experience. Immense yourself in the situation, there's a lot to love about Japan," said Thirdy, who has already been signed to an extension with San-En NeoPhoenix.

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