For B.League imports Thirdy Ravena and Dwight Ramos, playing for flag and country is always a top priority. And the call of duty is one of their non-negotiables when they negotiated with their respective teams.
Fortunately for the two, their current clubs in Japan — San-En for Thirdy and Toyama for Dwight — understood the assignment.
“For me, when I was negotiating the contract, way before I signed, I already told them that I would want to play for the national team whenever the windows are, the games come up,” Ramos told Power & Play with Noli Eala.
“So, November got canceled — I didn’t go back for that, then we have four games this February — they already knew that was coming and then Gilas called me up, I just answered the call.”
For Ravena, it was more of the same.
“Even before we signed the contract, we already talked about the national team,” said Ravena, who is currently in the first year of his two-year deal with the NeoPhoenix. “And yun nga, I would want to play lahat ng posibleng window kung may chance.
“Happy nga lang ako kasi sobrang supportive ng NeoPhoenix sa decision ko and they actually wanted me to go. So laking pasasalamat ko for a supportive club like them. And ngayong nandito na po kami, I am very excited to represent the country naman po.”
The two wingers, however, knew that this time is another adjustment phase as they will be under the returning Gilas coach Chot Reyes and with some new set of faces in the TNT Tropang Giga.
Reyes’ dribble-drive system is different from what was run by Tab Baldwin’s iteration of Gilas.
Nonetheless, they had to take in everything as fast as they could given the short period, and fortunately, everything is taking its course.
Photo from FIBA Asia Cup
Ramos shared, “It’s been great so far. I got to play with the other Gilas guys again; of course, Thirdy joined us. And then, I was playing with the Talk ‘N Text team also. So, it’s just been fun playing with coach Chot and his system.
“So we’re just getting used to everything; I think everything’s going on pretty well so far.”
“Hopefully I could jell with the team and with the system as fast as I could, as soon as possible din, and yeah we have 15 days — there’s no guarantee kung saan kami aabot within the 15 days, but we’re going to try our best, that’s for sure,” Ravena guarantees the millions of Filipinos.
“And we hope that that preparation is enough for us to win in this window against very tough teams like Korea and New Zealand.”
Ravena also shared that his adjustment was not hard as San-En’s system is familiar with Reyes’s.
(C) B.League
He said, “Malaki yung tulong nung parehas kaming tinatakbo na sistema. We just have to be familiar sa mga laro namin para alam namin kung nasaan yung isa’t isa during the game po.”
And for Ramos, all that starts not on the court, but somewhere else.
“I think chemistry kind of starts off the court as well as on the court.
“Coach Chot’s really great at doing that. He brings us all together during dinner time. We talk, share stuff about ourselves. It starts off the court and then practicing on the court. That’s our hope. He’s building chemistry between all of us,” he said.
He also added that despite the things they do not have at the moment, he knew that the team needs to set some goals for themselves.
Photo from @rosso_uccello
“I always have high expectations for our team. Of course, going into the window, I’m expecting us to go 4-0.
“It’s difficult within our preparation time and our lack of players at the moment. It’s gonna be a hard job, but of course, you just got to set high expectations to yourselves. And that’s what I’m hoping to do with the team,” the Fil-Am gunner said.
Ravena agreed to that and also noted that because this pressure to do well must also come from within the squad. He said, “Of course, there’s gonna be pressure because sa Gilas yung buong bayan yung dala mo, hindi lang isang team. So, yung buong bansa talagang manonood, but also as players kailangan mo rin naming i-challenge yung sarili namin.
“It’s gonna be tough, but no excuse, we’re here and we’re going to play at home. Kailangang mag-take pride kami sa mga ganoong bagay.
“And hopefully, makakuha po tayo ng mga panalo in the window.”
Now that Ravena and Ramos are back in the fold of the country’s national team, they vow to make every second count.
“As much as I can, I gonna keep and try playing for Gilas. I’m just gonna see in the future what happens, but for me personally, I always want to,” Ramos said.
Ravena added, “I always want to represent the Philippines as much as I can, and hopefully everything sorts out sa mga windows, na we sort it out with the national team and the club team.”
“And yeah, I always want to play for the national team.”
