A month before the Covid-19 pandemic brought the world to its knees in 2020, Thirdy Ravena was riding a wave of Filipino euphoria, having played a key role in the historic triumph of Mighty Sports, a professional team from the Philippines, at the Dubai International Basketball Championship.

But more than the joy of lifting the trophy with his teammates, the loud cheers from the Filipino fans in Dubai still ring in Ravena’s ears.

“I was surprised because I didn’t know that there were that many Filipinos in this country (UAE). It was an amazing experience, amazing environment,” Ravena told the City Times.

Incredibly, four years later, Ravena has now become the face of Dubai Basketball. The country’s first professional basketball club has just made its debut in the ABA League, a major European championship, with a stunning 86-84 win over Red Star Belgrade, the legendary Serbian club, at the Coca-Cola Arena on Sunday.

Dubai Basketball features elite players from Europe as well as Davis Bertans, a former NBA star from Latvia.

But it’s Ravena who is smiling on every social media post as the club owners look to build on the fabled Filipino craze for basketball.

Born into a family of high-profile cagers, Ravena is now excited to be a part of Dubai’s foray into European basketball.

In an interview with City Times, the 27-year-old opened up about his goals, the pros and cons of hailing from a sporting family and why he can’t wait to jump from an airplane in Dubai!

Excerpts from the interview.

Q. How does it feel to be part of something very new and very ambitious in Dubai?

This is the start of something very beautiful and it’s incredibly nice to be part of the first group that had actually done that and made history. It’s amazing to be among such great people, great players — guys that I have idolised since I was younger. It’s such an amazing feeling and I am ready to get the ball rolling.

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Q. Some Dubai streets feel like Manila and they are all mad about basketball. With you being in the team, what kind of response do you expect from the Filipinos for the club’s home matches at Coca-Cola Arena?

Hopefully, they come to the games. It’s going to be a process. We want to see fans from all countries that are based in Dubai. It’s their club. But yes, the Filipino community is one of the reasons they (Dubai Basketball) got me, to be able to represent people from that region, not just the Philippines, but Asia and Dubai. So I feel it’s a big responsibility.

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Q. You would be shuttling back and forth between Europe and Dubai for matches now. But off the court what are you planning to do in Dubai? This city has a lot to offer…

I will definitely explore the local spots, my friends have already shown me some of the places here in Dubai. The food is just amazing, I am going to try different types of food. You have over 200 nationalities in Dubai, I will try things out. Also I want to have different experiences like going to the dunes, I also want to do a sky dive, I always wanted to do it. So yeah, I would love to do these things when I have free time.

Q. Do you have family here?

I have actually direct family here, my uncle, my dad’s brother, lives here in Abu Dhabi. He does come here, we see each other a lot of times.

Q. Talking about your family, your dad (Bong Ravena) was an elite player of his time in the Philippines and your mum (Mozzy Crisologo-Ravena) was a volleyball player. Your elder brother (Kiefer Ravena) is a big star in Filipino basketball. How big of an advantage is it to have such a strong family background because in sports you see failures more often than you taste success. It must be a blessing to have your parents’ support in the tough times…

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Hundred per cent, it makes a big difference, to be guided by someone in whatever you are going through. I feel like all the challenges they faced as athletes, I have experienced them as well, just the fact that I have someone to guide me, someone who knows exactly how it feels to be in my position, so I knew that it was normal to feel this way. In sports, everything is very easy when you are winning, but you need support to face the adversity. My parents have helped me deal with that and have made me the man that I am today.

Q. Watching you live at the Coca-Cola Arena would be an inspiring moment for the Filipino cagers in Dubai. What would be your advice to them?

My biggest advice would be to never listen to what people tell you about what they think about your ability. Never listen to them. Listen to yourself, what you think you can do and stick to that. All my life I have been counted out because my brother (Kiefer) was one of the top players in the country when he was in grade school, so everybody knew that he was the man, they called him the phenomenon when he was only 12. He has done a lot of things that has never been done before at his age, when he was 13, he was already an under-19 player. So I have always been that guy who is the other brother and they were like, ‘He is playing basketball just because his brother is there’. So all my life I was in my big brother’s shadow, but I always told myself that I was going to make it. I was not going to be disheartened by what people told me. So that’s my advice, never listen to others.

Philippines’ Thirdy Ravena (left) during the FIBA World Cup Asian Qualifier against Lebanon at the Philippine Arena in Bulacan on February 24, 2023. — AFP file

Q. Your story will inspire people from all walks of life, not just sports…

I hope so. You know I always believed in myself, and believed in my hard work. I am not a very talented basketball player, but I have worked very hard to reach this stage. I have let the heartbreak take care of itself. When I was in grade school, they told me I would not make it to high school, when I was in high school, they told me I was not going to make it to college, I would not make it to the pros. Now I am here in Dubai with elite European players in my new team. So never listen to anybody else and believe in your dreams.

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