MANILA – The Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) has blocked Kiefer Ravena's bid to join the B.League.
The PBA Board of Governors decided in a meeting on Saturday not to allow the combo guard to sign up with the Shiga Lakestars mainly due to the fact that he is currently under contract with the NLEX Road Warriors.
The contract is a tripartite agreement with the PBA, which means the league also has a right of refusal.
"The Board has decided that Kiefer has to honor his contract with NLEX and with the PBA," PBA board chairman Ricky Vargas said in a press conference right after the board meeting.
Vargas added that the ruling "follows specifically a philosophy on the importance of a contract, which is, in Philippine law, very important in the PBA and FIBA."
Ravena re-signed with NLEX last September which makes him a Road Warrior until 2023, and this has become a major stumbling block in his supposed transfer to Shiga.
"The philosophy is basically the sanctity of the contract, and breaking a contract is going to be very difficult for us to manage moving forward," Vargas said.
He said the PBA Board will quickly relay its decision to the B.League.
"What will happen after this is we will communicate to the Japanese league, not to the team, and we will officially write them a letter and send it also today," Vargas said.
PBA Board vice-chairman Bobby Rosales added, "The communication with the Japanese B.League will be factual. It will be exactly the situation of Kiefer as a player of NLEX and a member of the PBA organization."
Vargas also said that the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP), whose chief Al Panlilio is also a member of the PBA Board, has been informed of the decision as well.
The SBP would have had the final say on whether it will clear Ravena's transfer or not.
Ravena would have been the second Filipino to play in the B.League following his younger brother Thirdy, who played for the San-En NeoPhoenix last season and has recently signed a fresh multi-year deal with the team. (PNA)
