Thirdy not surprised over manong’s stellar NLEX debut

Social media continued to buzz about Kiefer Ravena’s scintillating debut on Thursday, a day after he punched in big numbers to help NLEX hold off stubborn KIA, 119-115, in the PBA Philippine Cup. The second overall pick in the 2017 Rookie Draft matched his hype as he delivered 18 points, 12 assists, seven rebounds and two steals at Filoil Flying V Centre, falling just three rebounds short of a triple-double right in his first professional game. The only one not joining the conversation on how surprising the debut was? Brother Thirdy Ravena, who already saw the big game coming. “I was kind of expecting him to do Kiefer things even in the PBA,” he said. Thirdy, coming off a championship with Ateneo in the UAAP, watched Kiefer’s PBA debut with dad Bong and mom Mozzy. “Usually, the transition is tough especially from college. Usually, when you’re a rookie, you feel nervous,” added Thirdy, who affectionately calls Kiefer ‘manong’ as a sign of respect. “But he was aggressive and he’s just playing his game. Now that I’ve seen him do that on a professional stage, that just speaks about how his game is and how good he is.”