WHEN KIEFER RAVENA MET MICHAEL JORDAN

In our basketball-crazy country, Michael Jordan (MJ) is a demigod. A Jordan Chicago Bulls (23) jersey and an Air Jordan sneakers are almost like an official Pinoy OOTD.

- DOLLY ANNE CARVAJAL

It's impossible not to spot someone wearing any of those on a daily basis. That's why Kiefer Ravena's being tapped by the Jordan brand to be its Southeast Asian representative makes us all want to scream "Sana All."

In the Jordan Brand's first-ever "Board of Greatness" event in Athens, Kiefer was in the company of global basketball royalty. He rubbed elbows with NBA legends, Luka Dončić, Carmelo Anthony and His Airness MJ. Ravena lives up to his moniker, The Phenom, with his Jordan thingy. What a way to keep Pinoy pride alive.

Here's my chat with Kief: (Super thanks to my Miga/Kief's gracious mom, Mozy, for making my interview with her superstar son possible.)

Tell us a bit about the "Board of Greatness" event:

"My encounter with MJ is something I never expected to happen, especially the story on how I became a Jordan brand ambassador. It was a great experience and very surreal. It has not really sunk in yet. It's been a month since the event and people still congratulate me. It makes me realize the impact of it and how it inspires Pinoys.

"My favorite parts were the details of the entire event. We were given shoes exclusively for us. Being around my NBA idols was a dream come true. And as an added treat, my wife Diana was with me. I told her stories of how the NBA players present inspired me while I was growing up and how they influenced me in my basketball career."

How did you handle being starstruck when you met MJ?