Silence engulfed the Istora Senayan in Jakarta, Indonesia as the first half of Gilas versus Lebanon was about to end.
With 1:15 left in the second quarter, a loud thud echoed in the arena. It was Thirdy Ravena who fell head first in Indonesia’s baseline after challenging Wael Arakji attempt.
The most worried among everyone inside was Thirdy’s older brother Kiefer.
Before every game, Kiefer and Thirdy make sure to drop bloodlines. Once they are on the court, they are either just opponents or teammates.
But seeing Thirdy down made Kiefer go back to big brother mode.
“Well, siyempre, I think just to begin with, even before the start of the game, we are teammates, and being brothers are set aside,” recalled Kiefer, who is three years older than Thirdy. “But sometimes, you get carried away, especially with what happened, it was scary. It wasn’t something like he just felt down. It was really scary.
“It wasn’t just me who was scared, Thirdy has 11 other brothers who were scared as I am.”
Thirdy did not want to be stretchered out, opting to sit in a wheelchair.
And as he went to the dugout, he flashed a smile and put a thumbs up to those who were asking how he was doing.
But Kiefer knew something was wrong.
“He said that he wanted to throw up on the court during that time when he fell down so I was really worried.”
In the locker room, Thirdy assured Chot Reyes that he was fine to play.
“Thirdy said that he was okay so he was willing to give it a try. He warmed up at halftime so we said let’s give it a go,” recalled Reyes.
Thirdy ended up still playing in the second half, ending up with 10 points, five rebounds, and two assists.
Kiefer knew that Thirdy was hurting. And he knew that it won’t stop his brother from playing.
“Knowing him, I wasn’t surprised that he came back but obviously, coach knows when or when not to bring him in because it is a tournament.”
Thirdy will have to undergo concussion protocols.
With this, his status for Friday’s game against India will be up in the air. And Kiefer has his fingers crossed that his younger brother will be okay.
If not, well, Kiefer knows that Thirdy will still push himself to play.
“Until now, obviously, it was his head so he has to take care of concussions and everything else that follows,” said Kiefer, who had five points and four assists in the game. “We have another game and he is a very important part of this team just like everybody else. We all have our roles and we can’t afford to lose anybody here. Hopefully, he gets better, we will see his progress tonight and tomorrow.
“I’m sure he will be ready to play against India.
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