Filipino players to team up with other Asian imports for B.League All-Star challenge

Filipino players in the Japan Professional Basketball League (B.League) will play together for the first time in one team as they form the B.League Asia All-Stars, along with other basketball stars under the Asian player quota.

Division 1 players Kiefer Ravena (Shiga Lakestars), Thirdy Ravena (San-En Neophoenix), Kobe Paras (Niigata Albirex BB), Ray Parks, Jr. (Nagoya Diamond Dolphins), Dwight Ramos (Toyama Grouses), and Javi Gomez de Liaño (Ibaraki Robots) will comprise the majority of the Asia All-Stars squad. Division 2 players Juan Gomez de Liaño (Earthfriends Tokyo Z) and Kemark Cariño (Aomori Wat's) will also join the team.

They will play alongside Weijia Wang (Akita Northern Happinets), Brandon Jawato (Utsonomiya Brex), Jaemin Yang (Shinshu Brave Warriors), and Liu Jin (Nishinomiya Storks), Chih Wei Lin (Rising Zephyr Fukuoka).

Matthew Aquino, a Filipino player considered as a local in the league, will play for the opposing team, the B.League Rising Stars.

"I am very much excited to play against the Rising Stars of the B.League and [play] with my Filipino brothers here and also from the different countries being represented here in the B.League," Ravena said in a press conference on Monday.

Aside from the Asia All-Stars vs. Rising Stars, the B.League will also do a dunk contest, skills challenge, and 3-pt shooting challenge as parts of its events.

Brothers Kiefer and Thirdy will compete in the skills challenge, Paras will join the dunk contest, while Javi will be in the shooting challenge.

The B.League All-Star weekend is scheduled on January 14-15, 2022.

—JMB, GMA News