Thirdy Ravena joins Japan’s B.League

Ravena will be formally introduced as San-En’s latest recruit on Friday.  (PNA file photo)

MANILA – Thirdy Ravena is set to become the first Filipino basketball player to strut his stuff in Japan’s top tier B.League.

The San-En NeoPhoenix signed the former Ateneo guard to become the B.League’s first beneficiary of its new “Asian Player Quotas” rule.

“‘Asian Player Quotas’ is a new competition system [to be] implemented for the 2020-21 season to enhance competitive abilities by matching with various Asian players in daily games and to expand business in the Asian market,” the B.League said in a statement on Wednesday.

Led by former Japanese national team members Atsuya Ota, Takanobu Nishikawa, and Hisashi Da Silva, the NeoPhoenix, based in the city of Toyohashi in the Aichi Prefecture, look to bounce back after slipping to a league-worst 5-36 record the last time out.

Ravena will be formally introduced as San-En’s latest recruit on Friday.