THEY'RE more than mere numbers, and there's more to them than meets the eye. From important dates in their lives to lucky numbers to mere coincidence, there's usually a compelling story behind the numbers your favorite players wear on their backs. And more often that not, these stories will either surprise you or make you feel closer to their cage idols. Here's the third part of our series: KIEFER Ravena chose to wear the No. 15 jersey for no particular reason, grabbing the number only because it was the one available back in grade school. But when he started winning championships with the jersey number, Ravena held on to it. Ravena said he started wearing No. 15 at the back of his uniform back when he was still with La Salle Greenhills playing in Small Basketeers Philippines (SBP) tournaments. “Wala ng natirang number. I was the last one on the team and no one had No. 15,” Ravena related to Spin.ph when asked about the jersey number that has become identified with him. There was even a time when Ravena had to settle for No. 14 in his first year in high school since a senior teammate already owned No. 15. As luck would have it, Ravena and his team failed to win a championship that year. Since he regained the No. 15 jersey the following year, the Ateneo star has consistently won a championship each season from high school to college - a streak that ended only last season after the Blue Eagles lost the UAAP title to rival La Salle. Internationally, Ravena also won championships with the 'lucky' jersey number, becoming part of the two Philippine teams that captured the gold medal in the 2011 and 2013 Southeast Asian Games. Regardless of the luck No. 15 has brought him, Ravena said it was not his initial preference. The King Eagle said he initially wanted either No. 1 or No. 11 to honor his dad. Former PBA player Bong Ravena wore No. 11 during his college days with University of the East and No. 1 in the pro league. But the younger Ravena never got to do so. “Dapat No. 11 ako kasi si Papa, 11 nung college tapos bawal naman ‘yung No. 1 (sa amateur leagues) dahil sa professional lang puwede,” he said. For now, Ravena doesn’t intend to change jersey numbers anymore, unless another senior teammate gets in the way when he turns pro. “Depends on the situation. In the future, who knows? Baka mas may senior uli sa team (na nagmamay-ari ng No. 15),” said Ravena.
