Thirdy Ravena, who just recently capped off his UAAP collegiate career, is set to join San-En NeoPhoenix in the Japan B.League.
The Japan Professional Basketball League announced Wednesday that Ravena will be the first player to join the B.League through “Asian Player Quotas,” a competitive system the league introduced to “enhance competitive abilities by matching with various Asian players in daily games and to expand business in the Asian market.”
Ravena was just coming off of a championship-winning final season in the UAAP for the Ateneo de Manila Blue Eagles, where he won his third Finals MVP award, becoming the only player in the collegiate league’s history to do so.
“The three-time finals Most Valuable Player will be a great addition to the rebuilding former champions in their quest to redeem lost glory in Japan’s Premier Basketball League,” PressOne.PH sports analyst Chris King dela Cruz said.
The 6-foot-2 guard previously said that the cancellation of the PBA season opened the gates for his pursuit of an international career.
Ravena will wear #1 for the Japanese team.
San-En NeoPhoenix, a three-time champion, won just five games last season with 36 losses.
The former “King Eagle” will be introduced via Zoom on June 26, the team said. John Ezekiel J. Hirro