MANILA, Philippines – Four years after sparking a Filipino basketball player surge into Japan, Thirdy Ravena moves on to a new career challenge.
The former San-en NeoPhoenix import – the first Filipino reinforcement in Japan B. League history – officially signed with the newly formed Basketball Club Dubai (BC Dubai) of the Adriatic Basketball Association (ABA) League under the EuroLeague umbrella on Tuesday, July 30.
Only formed early this year, BC Dubai now parades a growing collection of international talent, including former NBA G League player Nate Mason, Croatian-German Leon Radosevic, Serbian former NBA draftee Nemanja Dangubic, and Turkish-Jordanian Ahmet Duverloglu.
Ravena figures to be a foundational piece among the veterans, especially after breaking out in his fourth B. League season and helping former cellar-dweller San-En NeoPhoenix transform into a consistent playoff contender.
In the 2023-2024 season, the 27-year-old all-around guard averaged 12.6 points, 5.0 rebounds, 3.0 assists, and 0.9 steals on a stellar 52% shooting.
The NeoPhoenix, with Ravena fully ingrained in the rotation at 27.1 minutes per game, skyrocketed to a third-place, 46-19 record before being stunned out of the quarterfinals by underdog Hiroshima. – Rappler.com