Ravena, pinakamalakas at kauna-unahang pinoy import sa B.League

ni Alvin Olivar - @Sports | June 28, 2020

Pormal nang inanunsyo ng San-en NeoPhoenix ang kanilang pagkuha kay dating Ateneo star na si Thirdy Ravena.

Isang online press conference ang isinagawa kasama ng mga reporter mula sa Pilipinas at maging sa Japan upang ibalita ang pagpirma ni Ravena sa koponan.

Ayon sa CEO ng San-en NeoPhoenix na si Kenjiro Hongo ay masaya sila sa pagkuha nila kay Ravena na kanilang binansagan bilang pinakamagaling na manlalaro sa Pilipinas ngayon.

“Thirdy is the best player in his country. Signing with him means a lot to me. I’m really proud of that. I’m looking forward to showing his game in the B.League,” wika ni Hongo mula sa kanyang interpreter.

Ito ang unang pagkakataon na makakapaglaro ang isang Pilipino sa Japan B.League matapos silang maglagay ng Asian Player Quotas na nagpapahintulot sa mga koponan na kumuha ng import mula sa Asia.

Ayon kay Ravena, napili niyang maglaro sa Japan upang hubugin pa ang kanyang kakayahan sa basketbol.

“Honestly, I’ve been hearing about Japanese basketball but I didn’t expect that it will grow this past in the past couple of years. I’m really excited just because the league attracts a lot of big-name imports outside the NBA. I can’t wait to compete against former NBA players,” wika ni Ravena.

Dagdag ni Ravena, excited na rin siyang makaranas ng mataas na lebel na kompetisyon sa Japan.

“In terms of basketball, Japanese basketball really has, number one, speed. They pass the ball more than they dribble which is why the ball travels faster. Definitely a lot of shooters, very deadly when it comes to making threes. I’ve seen that in the league. Two imports in the game so it’s going to be way tougher definitely. I’m expecting Japanese basketball to be very exciting,” saad ni Ravena.

Aminado rin si Ravena na hindi naging madali ang pagpiling maglaro sa Japan, umalis ng bansa, at iwan ang kanyang pamilya. Ngunit sa bandang huli, napili pa rin niya na mangibang-bansa upang umakyat ang antas ng paglalaro niya sa basketbol.

“I was nervous and I had anxiety when I was thinking about it. But I realized that the only reason I’m here is because I love challenges and I love competition. I love to be always outside my comfort zone. It’s something that I want to do,” ani Ravena.

Sa ngayon ay dito muna lalagi si Ravena sa bansa dahil na rin sa COVID-19 pandemic.

Coach Tab, sa Blue Eagles pa rin kahit sinibak na asst. sa Katropa

ni VA / Alvin Olivar - @Sports | June 27, 2020

Mananatiling head coach ng Ateneo de Manila men's basketball team si coach Tab Baldwin sa kabila ng pagkakatanggal nito bilang isa sa mga assistant coach ng TNT Katropa.

Noong nakaraang Huwebes ng hapon, kinumpirma ni TNT team manager Gabby Cui ang balitang inalis na sa coaching staff ng TNT si Baldwin.

Subalit, ipinaliwanag nito na ang pagtanggal kay Baldwin ay matagal na nilang ginawa bago pa ipatupad ang quarantine sanhi ng COVID-19 pandemic at walang kinalaman ang mga naging komento nito laban sa PBA partikular sa mga coaches ng liga sa isang video podcast.

Sa kabila naman ng mga nangyari, mananatili pa rin si Baldwin na pinagmulta ng PBA ng P75,000 bilang mentor ng Ateneo Blue Eagles ayon kay Ateneo Athletics director Emmanuel Fernandez.

Maliban sa pagiging head coach pa rin ng Blue Eagles, mananatili rin bilang Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas' (SBP) Gilas Pilipinas program director si Baldwin.

“Coach Tab will be focusing on his coaching chores in Ateneo and his role in SBP,” pahayag ni Cui na sya ring Gilas team manager.

Taong 2015 nang dumating ng bansa si Baldwin matapos kunin bilang Gilas head coach.

Coach Black, ginunitang muntik na maging naturalized player

ni Alvin Olivar - @Sports | June 25, 2020

Iilan lang ang nakakaalam na planong gawing naturalized player ng national team si Norman Black noong 1980s kung saan ang Northern Consolidated Cement sa pamumuno ni Danding Cojuangco ang may hawak ng koponan.

Sa panayam ng CPT Crossover podcast ay sinabi ni Black na may plano si Cojuangco na gawin siyang parte ng national team bilang isang naturalized player noong 1980s kung saan makakasama sana niya sina Jeff Moore, Dennis Still, at Chip Engelland.

Ngunit ito ay hindi natuloy matapos umalis ng bansa si Cojuangco dahil sa EDSA Peoples Power Revolution kung saan naalis ang noo’y pangulo na si Ferdinand Marcos.

“One of the plans that Mr. Cojuangco had for me was to become a naturalized player. I had just got married in 1984 and I was eligible to become a permanent resident in the Philippines. The first process was to get me to become a permanent resident. The next step was to try to move it to me possibly becoming a naturalized citizen. The problem with the naturalized citizen part was it takes time. It’s not overnight. Mr. Cojuangco left a few months later,” saad ni Black.

“He actually had plans for me to become a member of the RP Team. This is what he informed me. It didn’t push through because he didn’t remain in the Philippines. But if he had remained in the Philippines, there is a strong possibility I could have and would have played for the RP Team,” dagdag pa ni Black.

Kahit hindi natuloy ang pagiging naturalized player ni Black ay nanatili siya sa bansa kung saan naging parte siya ng 1989 grand slam ng San Miguel Beer. Naging coach din siya ng national team noong 1994 Asian Games.

Sa kasalukuyan ay nasa Meralco Bolts na si Black kung saan siya’y isang coach, ngunit malaki ang naging utang na loob niya kay Cojuangco na tumulong sa kanyang pamamalagi dito sa Pilipinas.

Kamakailan ay sumakabilang buhay ang dating manager ng national team noong 1980s sa edad na 85.

“Always found Mr. Cojuangco to be a great boss. He wasn’t the type that’s going to stay on top of you. In other words, he is not the type that is going to be there on top of you in every move. He is going to give you the responsibility and he is going to evaluate how you handle that responsibility. If you do well, you do well. If you don’t do well, obviously, you have to face the consequences whatever the end result comes in,” ani Black.