Filipinos Playing Internationally: A Positive Thing for Philippine Basketball

Thirdy Ravena is currently making a name not just for himself but for Philippine basketball by being an Asian import in Japan's B. League. And so are other Filipino ballers who are taking their talents to the international stage. That trend, for player agent Marvin Espiritu, is a "game-changer". 

Benny Benitez and nine-time Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) champion coach, Jong Uichico, hosted the first episode of  Bull By the Horn by Benny Benitez for 2021 and they discussed what lies ahead for Philippine basketball in the next 12 months along with Marvin Espiritu. When asked what he thinks about players who choose to play in international leagues,  Espiritu shared his thoughts. "It's a game-changer especially with the next generation of talent coming out of Philippine basketball. In the long run, it will benefit Philippine basketball. Players like Thirdy Ravena think differently nowadays. They are looking for other options to grow as a basketball player. Of course, you need to consider the financial reward of being a professional. If you play outside the Philippines, you play as an import. Therefore, you get compensated as an import. Definitely, the difference will be big in terms of the compensation," 

While Espiritu also noted that compensations in the PBA are also big, he reiterated that those players who take their talent elsewhere before playing in the PBA will benefit the local basketball scene. "In terms of growth and level of play, I think it will really benefit Philippine basketball because these players who are playing internationally adapt to international play. And when they receive a call-up from Gilas Pilipinas, they can bring home their experience of how to play international basketball. It will raise the level of our game. We need to be open-minded to these things," 

Coach Jong Uichico agreed that having players who have been exposed to international basketball is a positive thing, especially for Gilas Pilipinas. "Overall, it's positive. First of all, it's good for the players because they are finding other opportunities. Then, it opens up for other players to be given the chance to play in the international scene, " He added, "It's good for the players (playing in different international leagues) because they are exposed to other brands of basketball. Of course, when talking about Gilas and you're exposed to the international type of game, your adjustments will be easier in Gilas,"

Uichico concluded, "In general, it's good for our country. It's a positive situation that all of these players are in,"

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