Japan pro-league basketball player Thirdy Ravena said his career will never be complete without playing in the PBA.

Ravena, who recently signed a multi-year extension with Japan BLeague's San-en NeoPhoenix, said he still plans to enter Asia's first play-for-pay league.

“Never naman pong mawawala ’yung PBA para sa’kin,” the former Blue Eagles star in an interview on “The Chasedown”. “Kasi, I don’t think my career would be fulfilling if I don’t play in the PBA.”

• After injury-plagued campaign, Thirdy hopes for another opportunity

But for now he said he will have to fulfill his commitment with San-en.

“It’s really the appreciation and the love that I feel from the club kahit na marami akong pinagdaanan even though it was easy for them to be like, ‘Ay nako, injury-prone ’yan, ’wag na natin kunin’,” Ravena said.

• Thirdy Ravena explains situation to PBA

"Na-appreciate ko iyon as a player especially as a pro kasi there are things out of your control.

“Pero itong team na ’to talagang tinanggap ako, and they even gave me a chance — and a lot of chances, as a matter of fact, kasi multi-year [deal] siya. So I’m very happy for that.”

Ravena acknowledged he has no timetable yet for entering the PBA.

“I just go where basketball takes me. Wala akong parang specific date,” he said.

“Ngayon I'm just focused on the next couple of years with NeoPhoenix and of course the World Cup as well, the 2023 World Cup in our country. If there are things na pinaghahandaan ko in the future it's really those two things.”

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