Kiefer Ravena thanks NLEX, PBA for 'blessing' to join Shiga

Kiefer Ravena has sent a message of thanks to his PBA team NLEX for supporting his decision to sign with Japan's B.League's Shiga Lakestars.

In a statement, Ravena said he appreciates the "blessing" he received from NLEX management for the "next stage of his career." 

"I would also like to thank my NLEX Road Warriors Family and Management. To Boss MVP, Boss Rod Franco, Boss Ronald, Coach Yeng and all my teammates, maraming salamat. The support you have given me all throughout my stay has given me nothing but joy and great memories. Our dream of winning a championship will always be there. I am and will always be proud of this family. Thank you for giving me your blessing and backing me in this next stage of my career," he said through his social media account.  

He also thanked the PBA for "always supporting him."

"To the PBA and The Board of Governors, thank you for always supporting me. I will forever be grateful for the opportunity you have given us athletes," he said.

Ravena's statement on his social media account, however, is contrary to an earlier NLEX management statement which said that it was leaving it up to the PBA to decide on Ravena's Japan engagement.

"We understand and support Kiefer’s desire for personal advancement. However, as a member of the PBA, we are duty bound to abide by the rules and regulations that govern the league," the club said in a statement posted on the NLEX's team website. 

"The Japan engagement of Kiefer will need to conform to the terms of the UPC as well as the rules and policies of the PBA."

Even PBA Commissioner Willie Marcial said the league's rules bar Ravena from signing with a different club in a different league.

"Hindi pwede," Marcial told ABS-CBN News in a phone interview.

Marcial said he and Ravena had "informal talks" on Tuesday regarding this development, and he informed the player that it was against the PBA's rules and regulations.

"Kasi may UPC (uniform player contract), may UPC sa atin. May kontrata sa atin eh. So, masasabi ko lang, hindi pupwede," he said.

Meanwhile, Ravena also thanked Shiga Lakestars for signing him.

"I would like to thank my team, Shiga Lakestars, for this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Thank you for the trust and belief that a Filipino can perform and play in such a prestigious league. Domo arigatou gozaimasu," he said.

He also assured the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas he will remain committed to the Gilas Pilipinas program and will suit up for the team if needed.

He also urged fans to support him in Japan B.League.

"Lastly, to the fans, I hope you join me in this journey. I am proud to carry the flag and to say that I am a Filipino. I will continue to give glory to my countrymen and women in any way I can. Please continue to support me."

https://news.abs-cbn.com/sports/06/02/21/kiefer-ravena-thanks-nlex-pba-for-blessing-to-join-shiga

The World Tonight | ANC (2 June 2021)

PBA: Kiefer Ravena is bound by league rules, says NLEX

The NLEX Road Warriors management insisted that Kiefer Ravena will have to abide by PBA rules regarding his plan to join the Japan B.League.

"We understand and support Kiefer’s desire for personal advancement. However, as a member of the PBA, we are duty bound to abide by the rules and regulations that govern the league," said the club in its statement posted on its official website.

"The NLEX Road Warriors stand by the tripartite agreement between our organization, the PBA, and the individual player, which is enshrined in the Uniform Player Contract (UPC)."

The Shiga Lakestars in Japan's B.League announced Wednesday that Ravena has signed a contract for the 2021-22 B.League season.

His younger brother, Thirdy, was the first, having played for the San-En NeoPhoenix last season, and he recently signed a contract extension with the team.

"The Japan engagement of Kiefer will need to conform to the terms of the UPC as well as the rules and policies of the PBA," the NLEX further said.

PBA Commissioner Willie Marcial has said the league's rules bar Ravena from signing with a different club in a different league.

"Hindi pwede," Marcial told ABS-CBN News in a phone interview.

Marcial said he and Ravena had "informal talks" on Tuesday regarding this development, and he informed the player that it was against the PBA's rules and regulations.

https://news.abs-cbn.com/sports/06/02/21/kiefer-ravena-japan-bleague-nlex-pba

THE 700 CLUB ASIA | Thrival Living | June 2, 2021

What Did Jesus Really Look Like?

But we know that when he appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is.  1 John 3:2

It’s an amazing fact, yet true: the writers of the four Gospels never gave to the world an actual description of what Jesus Christ really looked like.  Nevertheless, there is an actual description of the appearance of Christ.  One of the few that has survived the centuries is said to have been written by the governor of Judea, Publius Lentulus.

Writing to Tiberius Caesar, in the year 32 AD, the Judean governor wrote the following: “There lives at this time in Judea a man of singular virtue, whose name is Jesus Christ, whom the barbarians esteem as a prophet, but his followers love and adore him as the offspring of the immortal God.  He calls back the dead from the graves and heals all sorts of diseases with a word or touch.  He is a tall man, well‑shaped, and of amenable and reverent aspect; He has hair of a color that can hardly be matched, falling into graceful curls, waving about and very agreeably couching about his shoulders, parted on the crown of his head, running as a stream to the front after the fashion of the Nazarites.  His forehead is high, large and imposing; his cheeks without spot or wrinkle, beautiful with a lovely red; his nose and mouth formed with exquisite symmetry; His beard of a color suitable to his hair, reaching below his chin and parted in the middle like a fork; His eyes, bright blue, clear and serene, look innocent, dignified, manly and mature.

“In proportion of body most perfect and captivating; his arms and hands delectable to behold.  He rebukes with majesty, counsels with mildness; His whole address, whether in word or deed, being eloquent and grave.  No man has seen Him laugh, yet his manners are modest and wise, a man for his extraordinary beauty and divine perfection, surpassing the children of men in every sense.”

There you have it‑‑a description said to have been written by an eyewitness in the first century.  When you close your eyes and concentrate on what has just been described, a lovely image comes to your mind.  You can almost see Him, right?  But the question is, “Can we believe that the record which I just shared with you is authentic or, no matter how nostalgic and how lovely, must we write this description off as a clever forgery?”  As much as scholars would like to accept it as genuine, it is generally believed to have been brought to the Vatican about the 9th century at a period of time when religious relics were at their peak.  Human nature being what it is, we seem to always want to help God out.  Yet, the spirit of what an unknown author wrote is consistent with the record of the four Gospels.

Each of the writers of the Gospels reflected a different point of view.  The tax‑collector, Matthew, wrote from a very Jewish point of reference while Mark reflected more of a Roman viewpoint.  Luke, the Gentile physician, who was probably from Syria, presented Christ as the perfect man, reflecting a Grecian viewpoint.  John, whose Gospel describes events taking place in 21 days in the life of Jesus, spoke of Jesus as the Son of God‑‑the Savior for all men of all ages.

Taking what the four wrote in a composite, there is a great deal of information, yet no actual description of what Jesus really looked like.  Why?  Apparently God wanted us to realize that what Jesus did is far more important than what He looked like, and for this reason no artist ever gave to posterity an actual painting of the face of Jesus.  No sculptor ever left His features chiseled in stone or cast in bronze, but the world will never escape the fact that He lived, died, and rose again. Yes, indeed!

Resource reading: Isaiah 52:13-15.

https://www.guidelines.org/devotional/what-did-jesus-really-look-like/

WATCH: PCSO 9 PM Lotto Draw, June 2, 2021

After the Fact | ANC (2 June 2021)

WATCH: PCSO 5 PM Lotto Draw, June 2, 2021

Sotto tells BARMM officials to lobby House members to act on bill

Senate President Vicente Sotto III on Tuesday, June 1, gave officials of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) assurance that the Senate in the next few days would pass on second reading the bill deferring the autonomous region’s first regular elections. However, he said they would need to “lobby” the House of Representatives to act on the bill.

“The not-so-good news I have to tell [BARMM officials] is that I had a meeting with the [House] Speaker this morning, and Speaker Velasco said…the BARMM bill is stalled in the committee,” said Sotto during the Senate plenary session on Tuesday evening.

Several BARMM officials had been a constant fixture at the gallery while the legislative chamber deliberated Senate Bill No. 2144, which seeks to postpone the elections from May 2022 to May 2025. 

“So it is best that they also go [to the House of Representatives] and talk to the people there because here, it is just a matter of time” until the bill is passed, said Sotto.

“The House of Representatives has not even started, so it’s better that as you talk to them, inform them of the lobby that is necessary,” he said.

Congress will adjourn sine die on Friday, June 4. Sotto said the Senate could pass the measure on third and final reading in early August or after the 18th Congress would resume session for President Rodrigo Duterte’s State of the Nation Address.

The main proponents of the bill included Majority Leader Juan Miguel Zubiri and Sen. Francis Tolentino. They hoped to pass the bill on final reading before the sine die adjournment this week. 

Sen. Panfilo Lacson said there was no need to rush it because there is no certification from the president that it is urgent. 

“What’s the message here?” Lacson asked Tolentino, the bill sponsor. “Why the rush when there is no certification?” 

Lacson pushed for more time to examine the proposed measure’s legal implications. He also said earlier that postponing the first regular elections would require plebiscite approval, which Tolentino and Sen. Franklin Drilon opposed. 

The Commission on Elections (Comelec) asked Congress to decide on the proposal by July to give poll officials enough time to prepare if the BARMM elections pushed through. 

Lacson also quizzed Tolentino over his speech on Monday telling senators that the coronavirus pandemic hampered the work of the Bangsamoro Transition Authority (BTA) in passing measures that the autonomous region would need to conduct elections. 

Tolentino said the BTA had yet to enact an electoral code, apportion the region’s parliamentary districts, and create a registry of voters. He said the BTA was also waiting for the result of the 2020 census to apportion the districts. 

“The reasons cited are not valid reasons,” said Lacson, who argued that the Senate was able to draft and pass a number of laws despite several of its members contracting Covid-19.

The BTA had drafted an electoral code, which it submitted to the Comelec, according to Lacson. The poll body made some modifications and returned it to the BTA, but the transition body still failed to finish the measure, he said. 

There would be no need to postpone the BARMM’s first regular elections scheduled in May 2022 if the BTA went back to work on the electoral code, said Lacson. 

Tolentino disagreed. He said the BTA would still have struggled to legislate parliamentary districts because of the realities of the pandemic. He earlier cited poor Internet connectivity in several BARMM municipalities. 

Lacson cautioned Tolentino against citing the coronavirus pandemic as basis for postponing the BARMM elections. He said it might “establish a very dangerous precedent” for postponing the national and local elections in May 2022.

Lacson said the BTA could have used the 2015 census if the 2020 census was not yet available. 

“We’re treading on very dangerous ground…if the pandemic is [cited as] the reason for the postponement of the BARMM elections, it could open the floodgates to a no-el (no-election) situation in the national and local elections next year,” said Lacson.

The period of interpellations will continue on Wednesday, June 2.

WATCH: PCSO 2 PM Lotto Draw, June 2, 2021

NBA: Nuggets outlast Blazers in 2OT epic despite Damian Lillard's 55 points

Nikola Jokic had 38 points, 11 rebounds and nine assists, and the host Denver Nuggets overcame a playoff-record 12 3-pointers from Damian Lillard to beat the Portland Trail Blazers 147-140 in double overtime in Game 5 on Tuesday night.

Lillard finished with 55 points and 10 assists and twice sent the game to extra periods. It was the first 55-point, 10-assist game in NBA playoff history.

Monte Morris scored 28 points, Michael Porter Jr. had 26 points and 12 rebounds, Austin Rivers had 18 points and seven assists and Aaron Gordon 14 points and 10 rebounds for Denver, which took a 3-2 lead in the first-round series.

Robert Covington had 19 points and 11 rebounds, CJ McCollum scored 18, Jusuf Nurkic finished with 13 points and 11 rebounds before fouling out and Norman Powell also had 13 points for the Trail Blazers.

Game 6 is Thursday night in Portland.

Lillard's record-setting 3-pointer off the glass from 30 feet away put the Trail Blazers ahead 140-138 with 3:47 left in the second overtime. Jokic tied it with a layup and after misses by both teams Porter broke the tie with a corner 3-pointer with 1:33 left off a long skip pass from Jokic.

Both teams missed two shots and McCollum turned it over with 10.2 seconds left. Morris hit two free throws and the Nuggets closed it out.

Morris hit two 3-pointers and Rivers another to put Denver ahead 132-123 with 2:14 left in the first overtime. Lillard converted a three-point play but Jokic hit a soft jumper in the lane to make it 134-126 with 1:52 remaining.

Lillard hit another 3-pointer from deep, Morris missed a layup and Lillard drained a 28-footer with 22.9 seconds left to make it 134-132. Morris split two free throws and Lillard sent it to a second overtime with another 3-pointer.

The Trail Blazers took their first lead at 83-82 and headed into the fourth up 94-92. The Nuggets rallied to go ahead 103-98 on JaMychal Green's corner 3-pointer.

Portland tied it at 115 on a Covington 3, Jokic scored four straight and McCollum hit a corner 3-pointer with 13.2 seconds left to make it 119-118.

Morris hit two free throws but Lillard sent it into overtime with a 3-pointer with 3.7 seconds left.

https://news.abs-cbn.com/sports/06/02/21/nbaplayoffs-nuggets-blazers-game-5-result

Can the PBA stop Kiefer Ravena from playing in Japan?

 Camille B. Naredo, ABS-CBN News

It looks like Kiefer Ravena still has some hurdles to overcome before he can play for the Shiga Lakestars in Japan's B.League.

The club announced Wednesday that Ravena has signed a contract for the 2021-22 B.League season, making Ravena the second Filipino player to serve as an Asian import in Japan.

His younger brother, Thirdy, was the first, having played for the San-En NeoPhoenix last season and recently signing a contract extension with the team.

But according to PBA commissioner Willie Marcial, the league's rules prevent Ravena from signing with a different club in a different league.

"Hindi pwede," Marcial told ABS-CBN News in a phone interview.

Marcial said he and Ravena had "informal talks" on Tuesday regarding this development, and he informed the player that it was against the PBA's rules and regulations.

"Kasi may UPC (uniform player contract), may UPC sa atin. May kontrata sa atin eh. So masasabi ko lang, hindi pupwede," he said.

Ravena had signed a three-year contract extension with the NLEX Road Warriors in September 2020. He thus needs to secure a clearance with the franchise as well as the PBA in order to head abroad to play.

NLEX coach Yeng Guiao has yet to respond to a request for comment. 

ABS-CBN News has also reached out to Ravena regarding the PBA's stance. He is expected to be introduced by the Shiga Lakestars next Monday.

According to Marcial, he is now waiting for Ravena's next move but was firm on his stance on the matter.

"Tingnan natin kung anong susunod na gagawin niya. Basta, as of now, ako, hindi pwede," he said. "Hindi pinapayagan ng PBA, sa ating regulasyon. Sa ating mga rules, hindi siya pwede kasi may UPC siya, may kontrata siya sa akin." 

https://news.abs-cbn.com/sports/06/02/21/pba-kiefer-ravena-bleague

FIBA: Kai Sotto can't wait to share the court with Ange Kouame

Camille B. Naredo, ABS-CBN News

Young center Kai Sotto is counting down the days until he can finally join the Philippine men's national basketball team.

Sotto arrived in Manila on Monday night and is currently in quarantine, but he expects to join Gilas Pilipinas once he completes the protocols. 

It is still uncertain if he can compete in the FIBA Asia Cup 2021 qualifiers in Clark, but Sotto may still play for Gilas in the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament in Serbia.

For the 19 year old, it's an opportunity that he has long waited for. Sotto was originally supposed to play for Gilas Pilipinas in the FIBA Asia Cup 2021 qualifiers in February, but the event was rescheduled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. 

"Excited na ako, siyempre," Sotto told News5 upon his arrival. "Kasi 'yun nga, first time ko na makakalaro sa national team ng Pilipinas, kaya sobrang excited."

"Hindi ako makapaghintay na makasama 'yung team," he added.

When Sotto makes his long-awaited debut for the senior national team, he will have a formidable frontcourt partner in Ange Kouame.

The Ivory Coast-born center became a naturalized Filipino citizen last month, paving the way for his participation in FIBA events.

"Sobrang happy ako na naturalized na si Ange," said Sotto, who had the chance to practice with the Ateneo de Manila University center during his brief stay in the country earlier this year. "Happy ako for him kasi alam kong gusto niya rin 'yun."

"Kaya 'yun nga, excited ako na maka-share 'yung court kasama siya," he added.

The FIBA Asia Cup 2021 qualifiers will take place in a bubble in Clark, Pampanga from June 16 to 20. Gilas Pilipinas will play South Korea on June 16 and 20, and Indonesia on June 18.

Meanwhile, the FIBA OQT is set for Serbia on June 29 to July 4, with the Philippines grouped with the home nation and the Dominican Republic.

https://news.abs-cbn.com/sports/06/02/21/fiba-kai-sotto-cant-wait-to-share-the-court-with-ange-kouame

Kiefer Ravena signs with Shiga Lakestars in Japan's B.League

(2nd UPDATE) Another Ravena is headed to Japan's B.League.

Kiefer Ravena has signed a contract with the Shiga Lakestars for the 2021-22 season, the club announced on Wednesday.

Ravena will be registered as an Asian import, similar to his younger brother Thirdy's situation with the San-En NeoPhoenix.

He will be formally introduced next Monday along with Shiga's new head coach, Luis Guil Torres.

In its statement, Shiga noted that Ravena is "an extremely popular athlete," with over a million followers on various social media accounts. They also lauded the player for his participation in the FIBA World Cup 2019 with Gilas Pilipinas.

Ravena is joining a Shiga Lakestars team that went 23-36 in the B.League's West region last season, and missed the playoffs. 

He will play in the same region as Thirdy and the NeoPhoenix. The younger Ravena recently signed a contract extension with San-En after an injury-riddled campaign last year.

The B.League season starts in October, with teams playing 60 games -- 30 at home and 30 on the road.

In March, NLEX Road Warriors coach Yeng Guiao revealed that Ravena had gotten a "really good offer" to play in Japan. At the time, Guiao noted that there were certain hurdles that Ravena had to overcome in order to sign a contract with a B.League team.

Ravena was drafted second overall by the Road Warriors in 2017, but never got to play a full season for NLEX. His rookie and sophomore years were hampered by a FIBA-imposed sanction after he tested positive for banned substances.

In 2020, the PBA season was shortened to just one conference because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Ravena and the Road Warriors finished 5-6 in the elimination round in the PBA's bubble, and missed the playoffs.

In May, Ravena became the first Filipino athlete to sign with Nike's Jordan Brand.

https://news.abs-cbn.com/sports/06/02/21/kiefer-ravena-shiga-lakestars-bleague

Headline Pilipinas | Teleradyo (2 June 2021)

Sakto | Teleradyo (2 June 2021)

ANNIVERSARY - Kape't Pandasal kasama si Fr Nono Alfonso, SJ