Work begins as Ravena inks max rookie deal with NLEX

Kiefer Ravena. Photo by Tristan Tamayo/INQUIRER.net

Signing a maximum rookie deal worth P8.5 million on Thursday, Kiefer Ravena couldn’t be more elated to formally join the NLEX family.

“I’m very happy to be in a franchise where it wasn’t really hard to negotiate. More than the contract, it’s the honor to play for a franchise like NLEX,” he said.

READ: Guiao hails Ravena-Alas backcourt as NLEX’s future

And the work starts now for the second overall pick in the 2017 PBA Rookie Draft as he will have to prove his hype in this new chapter with the Road Warriors.

.@kieferravena: It’s nice to have my first game in an @nlexpba jersey. #PBA2018 pic.twitter.com/VN454ePVQr

— Randolph B. Leongson (@RLeongsonINQ) November 9, 2017

But Ravena doesn’t mind the early grind with NLEX, which came back to work early in the offseason with more than a month to go before the opening.

“I really wanted to come in early to make up for lost time and to make my transition a bit faster and smoother when the real practice time comes. So I’ve already learned a lot here, from the guys who I’ve been with or faced one way or another,” he said.

READ: Rookie Ravena hopes to bring leadership at NLEX

Seen as the most PBA-ready of the class, Ravena shared that his exposure to the culture of the pros all his life has prepared him for his moment, giving him a slight edge among the pack.

“I’ve been around the PBA for almost all my life because of my dad, so I know how it goes,” he said.

The idea, however, is still different from execution, and Ravena is hopeful he could get a seamless transition

“Hopefully, the transition would be smooth. I know it’s a matter of maturity because in college, you get away with a lot of things. You play with younger guys if you’re the senior. But here, you play against much bigger, stronger, older and more intelligent guys with a lot of experience. So you have to counter that with a lot of things to be able to be efficient with your game,” he said.