Thirdy Ravena officially became the first collegiate player to make Gilas Pilipinas’ roster on Tuesday after being named in the team’s final 12-man lineup against Qatar in the Fiba World Cup Asian qualifiers.
With Ravena’s inclusion, Thirdy and his older brother Kiefer also became the first brothers to suit up for Gilas.
Kiefer couldn’t be any prouder of Thirdy but he also reminded everyone that nothing is a guarantee and that everything is earned.
Proud of @ThirdyRavenaaa 🙏🏽 but being the 1st brothers to be called up by #GilasPilipinas 💪🏽💯 hardwork and a lot of sacrifices gets you to where you wanna be. 💪🏽🙏🏽
— Kiefer Ravena (@kieferravena) February 20, 2019
The 25-year-old Kiefer would’ve been part of the national team had he not been suspended by Fiba although, it’s hard to tell if he and Thirdy would’ve both made the lineup had that been the case.
The future, however, could eventually lead to the prolific Ravena brothers being Gilas teammates and national team mainstays.
The 22-year-old Thirdy is set to make his Gilas debut on Friday, 12 a.m. (Manila time) against Qatar in a must-win game.