Just 26 games into the B.League season, former NLEX guard Kiefer Ravena and ex-TNT winger Bobby Ray Parks Jr. admitted that they did not expect the grind in the Japanese league.
Well, with the number of games they have already played so far in Japan, it would have been a full conference plus one in the Philippine Basketball Association with the quarters, semis, and finals going the full distance.
Photo by PBA Images
“I guess the biggest difference is the back-to-backs and the number of games,” said Shiga ace Ravena, who played a total of 54 games in four years for NLEX, during the B.League All-Star special. “It really takes a toll on you.
“You feel it during the tenth, fifteenth, twentieth game [and so on] especially me and Ray being the old heads here. The mileage is a little bit different.”
In the B.League, teams play every weekend. In rare instances, they would also have Wednesday games.
All of the teams from college to division I also compete in the knockout Emperor’s Cup.
The PBA, on the other hand, plays five days a week. Still, rarely do teams have back-to-backs.
“The fact that we have back-to-back games is just crazy,” seconded Nagoya’s Parks, who played a total of 49 games in three years in the PBA. “Sometimes, we have three games in a week so that’s pretty new to me.
“I think that’s one thing that really surprised me.”
The number of games is also what surprised former Indonesia Basketball League player Brandon Jawato.
(C) B.League
“I would say the number of games,” said Utsunomiya’s Jawato, who previously played for the Indonesia Patriots. “Because in Indo, we only have 32 games and here we have 62. The number of imports as well.”
Out of all the Asian imports, it’s Taiwanese start Lin Chihwei who did not have a hard time adjusting as the Super Basketball League also have the same format as the B.League.
Photo from FIBA.basketball
“It’s almost similar as Taiwan’s league,” said the 29-year-old big who plays for Fukuoka. “It’s like we also have foreign and Asian players so I am used to it.”
For the Filipinos though, they still have 36 more games to adjust. And yes, that does not include the playoffs.
