Thirdy Ravena's B.League Stint: "It's a Win"

On his B.League debut as the first Filipino to ever play as an import, Thirdy Ravena finished with 13 points, three rebounds, and two steals. Those numbers helped San-En NeoPhoenix score an 83-82 escape victory against the Shinmane Susanoo Magic. And yet, there are people who are saying a lot of different things about Ravena's ongoing stint in Japan.

Jump Thru Hoops discussed Ravena's stint on its 13th episode on Tuesday with Jinno Rufino talking with Aaron Atayde live from Boracay. Atayde, making his return in the show after missing last week's run, asked the question: What will make Thirdy Ravena's B.League stint a success? 

"It's a success already," Rufino quipped. "I don't think he has to get an MVP (award). I don't think his team has to win a championship. As long as he has performed to the best of his ability and represent the Philippines there, it's a win, It's a win for us. It's a win for him. It's a big deal that we have players who succeed in international leagues because I really believe that is the future. We need to get our talents out and get them exposed to different competitions," Jinno pounded on. 

For Atayde, "Yes, it is successful already that the fact that Thirdy is there. This (stint) is a lot more successful than a lot of people think," Noting some people are complaining about Thirdy Ravena not playing for 40 to 48 minutes when he's an import, Atayde continued, "We don't understand the B.League. We can't compare how the Philippines uses imports to how the B.League does. We cannot judge what Thirdy Ravena has done in three games and say that it's either a bust or a success already. We are being introduced to the game in Japan as much as Thirdy is. The guy is trying to figuring things out for himself. Let's not put so much pressure on the kid. We're not looking for 30 points. We're looking for Thirdy Ravena. We're looking to see what he can do because yes, he is representing himself, but then again, he's also representing the country,"

"This is just the first step," that is Atayde's reminder

Screenshot is from pinoyliga.com Facebook page