Thirdy nears PBA dream?

A window of opportunity to enter the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) opened up for Thirdy Ravena following the expiration of his contract with the Dubai Basketball Club in the EuroLeague last November.

Fresh from bagging a gold medal in the 33rd Southeast Asian Games, Ravena stressed that he is still looking for a team and all options are open, including a stint in the PBA.

S i n c e w r a p p i n g u p h i s collegiate stint at Ateneo de Manila University in 2019, Ravena has yet to step foot in the PBA. He was expected to enter the PBA Draft in 2020, but the Covid pandemic derailed that plan. In the end, he signed with the San-En NeoPhoenix, blazing the trail for other Filipinos to see action as Asian Quota Players in Japan and South Korea.

Reports have it that the PBA has a rule that eligible players who will bypass the draft will be banned for two years. Ravena, however, responded by writing a letter to PBA commissioner Willie Marcial and the board of governors to explain his decision to see action abroad.

But the rule may become moot should Ravena decide to throw his name in the next Annual Rookie Draft in January of 2027. With his skills, experience and basketball pedigree, Ravena will surely be the cream of the crop of the batch of rookies.

Ravena admitted that the PBA is a dream but he is still plotting his next move.

“Nothing definite yet. We’ll see the options but, of course, the PBA will always be on my radar. It’s always a dream for me but we will wait for options,” said Ravena, whose father, Bong, is an assistant coach at TNT Tropang 5G and older brother, Kiefer, used to play for NLEX before joining him in Japan.

“Once me and my agent sit down and talk, that’s the time that we’ll know what our next steps will be.”

Despite opting for an overseas career, the 29-year-old Ravena will always have a special spot at home.

After all, he never turned his back on his national team duty, including in the SEA Games, where he finally gained redemption following a controversial 81-85 loss to Indonesia in the gold-medal match of the Hanoi edition in 2022.