MANILA – Brothers Kiefer and Thirdy Ravena assured fans they will still play in the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) in the future whether as teammates or against each other.
The Iloilo City natives said in a virtual intreview that they were just fulfilling their dream of playing overseas in Japan but will soon return to the country’s first-ever professional basketball league.
Thirdy is currently in his second year as Asian Quota Player for the San-En NeoPhoenix while elder Kiefer is on his first year as Shiga Lakestars’ reinforcement.
“I see myself playing in the [PBA], but we don’t know when,” Thirdy said. “We’re fulfilling our careers as basketball players and I feel like I have to play in the Philippines as well.”
“For us right now, it’s just really taking care of ourselves and staying healthy so we can make sure that (returning in the PBA) happens in the future,” added Kiefer.
Thirdy was already eligible for the PBA Rookie Draft in 2020 but he opted to play in Japan instead.
Kiefer, on the other hand, already had a taste of PBA action with NLEX Road Warriors.
“When I was a kid, I always dreamed about playing in the PBA. I want to see the amazing crowd in the pros,” Thirdy said.
According to Kiefer, “it is a good story to tell in the future” that they were able to play in the same league where their father Ferdinand “Bong” Ravena used to play.
“For us brothers, to be able to play in the league where our dad also played is also part of our dreams, whether on the same team or playing against each other like what we’re doing now here in Japan,” Kiefer added.
“It’s nice to tell that story in the future to our kids and to our families – that we all played together in one league with our dad [Bong]. That’s gonna be an awesome story,” he concluded./PN
