Overseas prospects

The lure of playing basketball overseas is extremely tempting with high salaries and an expatriate lifestyle on the table. But the trimmings are only half the deal. The other half is whether there is gratification in playing the game.

Take Thirdy Ravena’s case. He jumped off the Japan B-League bandwagon to test the waters beyond East Asia and signed with BC Dubai in the United Arab Emirates-Adriatic League. Ravena’s the only Filipino in the stacked roster that lists Latvia’s NBA veteran Davis Bertans, Italian national player Awudu Abass, Slovenian national player Klemen Prepelic, Serbian national player Danilo Andjusic, Jacorey Williams of Middle Tennessee State and NBA veteran Isaiah Taylor.

It’s a feat that Ravena made the Dubai lineup and he reportedly inked a two-year deal. So far, Ravena is averaging 0.4 of a point and 4.4 minutes in nine games. Ravena’s growth is expected to skyrocket with the Dubai experience but where can he showcase his skills with playing time? He’s never applied for the PBA draft and maybe, the time has come for it to happen.

Rhenz Abando is another case. He played in Korea but couldn’t finalize a deal with the Chiba Jets in the B-League this season. Abando is currently unemployed and shouldn’t be with his talent. Like Ravena, he’s never joined the PBA draft and that option looms if doors aren’t opening elsewhere.

Robert Bolick, Justine Baltazar, RJ Abarrientos, Jordan Heading and Kemark Carino are among players who’ve gone from Asian leagues to the PBA. There are different reasons why players return home, some personal, some professional. But whatever the reason, players should reflect on what’s in store abroad beyond the glitter of money.

In Japan, B-League teams are allowed to recruit an Asian import or a naturalized Japanese player. It’s one or the other. A Fil-foreigner with mixed descent will be eligible only if he has played for Gilas in a FIBA-sanctioned event like the Asia Cup, Olympics or World Cup. In Korea, Fil-foreigners with mixed descent are not eligible as the KBL only allows Filipino imports with both Filipino parents. In Taiwan, only a Filipino passport is required for eligibility as an Asian import.

There are Filipinos who’ve made an impact abroad and are enjoying productive careers like Dwight Ramos, Bobby Ray Parks, Matthew Wright, Kiefer Ravena and Kai Sotto in Japan and SJ Belangel, Carl Tamayo and Ethan Alvano in Korea.  But it’s a challenge to earn a spot, considering an Asian import is taking a job away from a local and courting enmity. The decision to go abroad or stay home isn’t easy to make. Keeping options open is always safe so that if a pathway has road blocks, a fallback is something to lean on.