Photo by Tristan Tamayo/INQUIRER.net
MANILA, Philippines—Thirdy Ravena is no stranger to flaunting the flashiest sneakers during games and in Ateneo’s showdown against De La Salle in the UAAP Season 82 men’s basketball tournament, he chose a pair that sticks closer to him.
Ravena had on a pair of custom Nike Zoom Freak 1s and what made it unique were the illustrations of My Hero Academia characters Katsuki Bakugo and Shoto Todoroki on the side panels of his sneakers.
Bakugo and Todoroki are not the main characters of the manga-slash-anime series as that distinction belongs to Izuku Midoriya, but Ravena drew inspiration from the show’s secondary heroes.
“Honestly, they’re my favorite characters in My Hero Academia because they’re going through so much as individuals,” said Ravena in Filipino after the Blue Eagles brushed off the Green Archers 81-69 Sunday at Smart Araneta Coliseum.
Bakugo has the fire and desire to be the top hero of his generation as he wants to follow in the footsteps and achievements of All Might, the No. 1 professional hero.
Todoroki, meanwhile, is the son of Endeavor, the no.2 hero behind All Might, and he’s lived under the shadow of his father throughout the series.
“Todoroki has the pressure of his dad on him and Bakugo has the pressure he put on himself and I tend to connect with characters who are on that certain level,” said Ravena, who once rocked the Nike Air Fear of God back in Season 81.
The stories of the two fictional heroes draw close to Ravena’s own as he rose through the ranks of the Blue Eagles.
From being Kiefer’s younger brother to becoming a star of his own, Ravena has since won two Finals MVPs and even played in the senior team of Gilas Pilipinas during the World Cup Asian Qualifiers.
Ravena, though, continued to display his on-feet flair after the game as he rocked a pair of Black sacai x Nike LDWaffle set to release on September 12.
“I got the early release, so I can now wear it,” said Ravena.