Marvin Espiritu remembers it like yesterday.

It was 2020, a few weeks after the coronavirus pandemic hit the country, when Thirdy Ravena started negotiating a new professional contract.

Fresh from a stellar collegiate career, speculations were pregnant that the red-hot former Ateneo de Manila University star will join the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA), similar to the path taken by his father, Bong, and older brother, Kiefer.

But Ravena did the unthinkable when he signed up with a relatively unknown club from a country that is not really known to be a basketball superpower in Asia like China, Iran or South Korea.

At the center of that shocking transaction was Espiritu.

“They were asking me who they should get. In my opinion, the best player available at that time was Thirdy. We have to remember that he is coming off his final year at Ateneo with a championship,” said Espiritu, clarifying that the negotiation with San-En NeoPhoenix started as early as 2019 but was only formalized while the entire landscape of Philippine basketball was in disarray due to the Covid pandemic.

“The deal happened late in 2019. It was during the time when the SEA (Southeast Asian) Games were happening in the country.”

“To cut the long story short, San-En signed him and the rest is history.”

Ravena’s success kicked off the exodus of young Filipino basketball players to various countries for greener pastures.

Soon, rising stars like Dwight Ramos, Ray Parks, Carl Tamayo, Matthew Aquino and Javi Gomez de Liaño decided to trade their careers in the domestic leagues to see action in Japan. Even Kiefer Ravena also joined the exodus when he signed a deal with the Shiga Lakes while still in the middle of his contract with NLEX in the Philippine Basketball Association.

“An offer came to Kiefer,” Espiritu said.

“We met somewhere in White Plains and saw the deal. It was an offer he couldn’t turn down due to how big it was.”

“We’re still in a pandemic back then and I think criticizing the PBA at that time was unfair because the league was just protecting the welfare of its players.”

“The PBA eventually allowed him to play in Japan with the blessing from PBA commissioner Willie Marcial and the other bosses involved.”

Humble beginnings

But becoming a starmaker didn’t happen overnight.

Before becoming one of the most successful player agents in the country today, Espiritu had to learn at the feet of his father, Danny, who is both loved and revered not just by players, coaches, team managers, team executives and media, but also by fans.

From being his father’s personal driver to meetings to typing out the requests for contracts, Espiritu patiently learned the tricks of the trade while studying at College of Saint Benilde and having a corporate job at FedEx.

“I would computerize it. In a way, unconsciously, I would add my inputs in the contracts,” Espiritu said. “For me, the outlook at that time, since I was fond of the NBA (National Basketball Association), I would read about players’ contract situations in other teams and leagues.”

“So, unconsciously, I would help them. This was in the early 2000s, late 90s. Right after college, because I was still in a corporate job at FedEx.”

Espiritu-Manotoc connection

His biggest break came in 2009 when he met Matthew Manotoc, the nephew of President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos and incumbent governor of Ilocos Norte, to form the Espiritu-Manotoc Basketball Management (EMBM).

Now, the EMBM currently has 40 athletes under its care, catering not just in handling and negotiating their contracts but also in marketing and legal services.

“We give a complete service. Ranging from not only representation, but we also do information, consultancy, sports marketing,” Espiritu said.

“If those athletes need these services, they can come to us. Endorsement, marketing, public relations, sports marketing and consultation for brands.”

Espiritu got the idea after noticing that in the United States, athletes are prominent endorsers of products and services.

“The sports marketing here in the Philippines is very challenging because from what we experienced, especially starting way back in 2009 and 2010. The first five years, it’s hard to pitch to the athletes,” Espiritu said.

“In Western countries, endorsement and role models are dominated by athletes. The marketing portfolio is more of showbiz personalities and that was the challenge at that time.”

Espiritu said Manotoc would handle the recruitment of players while also attending to the needs of his local government unit.

“Matthew would handle the recruitment since he knows how to talk to Filipino-foreign players. He has connections in the United States which is a big help for us,” Espiritu said.

Unlike his father who has a more fatherly approach to his clients, Marvin said he keeps a level of professionalism with his clients to make time with his wife Gia and his children Arkin Luis, Zyler and Phoebe.

“I’m not here 100 percent of the time. I try to make time with my family as well,” Espiritu said.

“I always make it a point to be visible in the professional league.”

Among their prominent clients include Marcio Lassiter of San Miguel Beer, Japeth Aguilar of Barangay Ginebra San Miguel, and SJ Belangel of Daegu KOGAS Pegasus in the Korean Basketball League.

Espiritu said he may be a starmaker, but he is no miracle worker as players also have to help themselves if they want to be successful.

“They need to have discipline and the right mindset when they are playing from high school up until college. That is something they need to do before moving onto their careers on a professional level whether it is in the local setting or international setting,” Espiritu said.

“This will help you have a long career. You want to play as much as your body can let you and stay in the big leagues.”

Like father, like son

While Espiritu might have a different approach on helping a player’s career, he still kept his father’s core principles at heart.

The younger Espiritu shared that like his father, he also lets his athletes make the final call for their careers.

“For me, I try to stick to our philosophy. It’s not about controlling your client but it’s about them being happy in their situation,” Espiritu said.

“If they are not happy, they won’t perform well. The final decision should always come from the player.”

He also makes sure that he and his father will still have a harmonious relationship despite serving various athletes.

“If I encounter a recruit who is already signed with Papa, I just move on and look for another one. We are not competing with one another and operate more like sister teams,” Espiritu said.

Yes, Espiritu might be the force behind the transfer of Ravena to Japan or the powerbroker that paved the way for the successful careers of professional players in the PBA.

But at the end of the day, he’s more than just a basketball agent. He is a beacon of hope, somebody who can change the lives of countless young athletes who are working hard and dreaming of becoming the next Thirdy Ravena.