Catching up with Kiefer

MANILA, Philippines – Kiefer Ravena is one of our best basketball players, and proof of that is he was part of our Gilas Pilipinas team in the recently concluded FIBA World Cup. While playing for NLEX in the PBA, he was given an opportunity to take his talents to the B.League in Japan, and that is where he has been playing the past three years.

He recently had a chat with Real Sports about life in Japan.

How’s life been there so far?

Kiefer: It’s my third season with the Shiga Lakes and fortunate we’re doing pretty well, hopeful we can continue, be consistent, and improve in terms of chemistry, teamwork and playing style. We have a tough schedule in December, we’ve won seven games in a row and we wish to continue that?

Is there a difference between B1 and B2?

Kiefer: Actually, there is. But competition wise, it’s not that far off. I was also surprised, you might think it’s a whole different league, but you’ll face teams that are capable of competing and winning even in B1. So every day is a grind, you can’t take anybody lightly. Anybody can beat anybody. When you’re fighting for promotion, you want to take every game seriously, like it’s a championship game. In terms of competition, there is, but still having the mindset of being a B1 team is something we need to get used to as an organization. Prepare ourselves mentally and physically if ever we do get back to B1.

Have you adjusted to back to back games in the B.League?

Kiefer: Yes, relatively. My body and my mind is already adjusted to the playing style and playing schedule in Japan. It’s fortunate that we don’t have too many Wednesday games, so that’s good for my body and for my teammates. We have that extra day of not playing, preparing for the weekend and focusing on recovery. Especially when you play longer minutes in certain weekends and certain games. At the end of the day, you can’t take any days off. You have to be mentally present every time you’re in Japan, because even if the season is long, the games go by so fast.

Any goals you’ve set for this season?

Kiefer: Just to be healthy, that’s the personal goal. I want to play the whole season not missing any games and as a team, we want to get promoted and get back to B1. Really not thinking about the future too much but at the same time, having something to look forward to is what keeps us going, especially being overseas, so that’s how I try to be in the middle of everything.

More local players are wanting to go overseas. Is it something you suggest they do try?

Kiefer: Yes, if you think you could play overseas, to see and gauge yourself, where you are, it’s not a bad thing. But always remember that a lot of things that come with it, obviously you want to think it through before making the jump. But you will get better in more ways than one, not just basketball wise, being away from family and your loved ones, will definitely teach you a lot of things off the court.