KIEFER RAVENA’S planned stint in the Japan league has been rendered uncertain as his existing contract in the Philippine Basketball Association prevents him from pushing ahead. — FIBA

By Michael Angelo S. Murillo, Senior Reporter

KIEFER Ravena’s planned stint in the Japan league has been rendered uncertain as his existing contract in the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) prevents him from pushing ahead.

No sooner after the Shiga Lakestars announced on Wednesday that they have signed the versatile guard to play for them in the Japan B.League for the 2021-22 season, the PBA came out and said it is not going to be possible.

The league cited that Mr. Ravena is bound by the Uniform Players’ Contract (UPC) he signed with his mother ball club the NLEX Road Warriors and the PBA which he must honor and adhere to.

“Kiefer has a UPC which he has to abide by. It’s the player’s contract. So he’s not allowed to play in other leagues,” PBA Commissioner Willie Marcial told the media on the matter.

The NLEX guard signed a three-year extension with the Road Warriors last year following a solid outing in the league’s “bubble” tournament where he averaged 19.4 points, 5.5 rebounds, 4.6 assists, and a steal throughout their run.

Earlier this year, however, news of Mr. Ravena getting a “good offer” to play in Japan broke out.

No less than NLEX coach Yeng Guiao confirmed the news. The coach said they support Mr. Ravena’s desire to pursue the opportunity presented to him, but admitted it was going to be easier said than done as a number of requirements had to be met for it to be a reality.

In signing Mr. Ravena, the Lakestars took note of his showing in FIBA-sanctioned tournaments as well as the large following the player has as a player.

With Shiga, Mr. Ravena will join a team which finished last season with a 23-36 record in the West region of the B.League. He will play in the same region as his brother Thirdy, who made his Japan league debut last season with San En NeoPhoenix.

Shiga said it will formally introduce Mr. Ravena in a press conference on Monday.

Despite the uncertainty surrounding his Japan league stint, Mr. Ravena posted on Facebook on Wednesday a statement expressing his excitement over playing in Japan and thanking his team, the league and his supporters.

“In light of today’s announcement, I would like to thank my team, Shiga Lakestars, for this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,” Mr. Ravena wrote.

He then thanked his NLEX family and management, which include Metro Pacific Tollways Corp. officials Manny V. Pangilinan and Rod Franco, Road Warriors official.

Ronald Ularte and coach Yeng Guiao, saying, “Thank you for giving me your blessing and backing me in this next stage of my career.”

In a separate statement, while it said it supports Mr. Ravena in his pursuit, NLEX underscored how the UPC figures prominently in any decision to be made on it just as it was leaving it to the league board on how to go about the matter.

“We understand and support Kiefer’s desire for personal advancement. However, as a member of the PBA, we are duty bound to abide by the rules and regulations that govern the league,” said the Road Warriors.

“The NLEX Road Warriors stand by the tripartite agreement between our organization, the PBA, and the individual player, which is enshrined in the UPC. The Japan engagement of Kiefer will need to conform to the terms of the UPC as well as the rules and policies of the PBA,” it added.

BusinessWorld reached out to Mr. Marcial on whether the league board would discuss the matter and he said that it has yet to be put on the table. He went on to reiterate that the UPC is binding.

The Japan B.League usually starts its season in October where competing teams play a set of home and away matches in the regular season.

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