ACQUIRING the Alaska franchise, PBA’s second winningest team, should understandably put some pressure on Converge to deliver in the league’s 47th season set to kick off in June.
With CEO and team owner Dennis Anthony Uy giving the FiberXers a big push, the pro league’s newest squad is out to prove it is no pushover.
“Our tagline as a company is ‘Experience Better.’ Hindi lang ito motto sa amin but it’s a mission to provide and to serve Filipinos. We provide them exactly better than they are used to. We want to bring them the best and we’ve been doing this since Day One of the company,” Uy said last Tuesday during the Converge team’s official launch at the EDSA Shangri-La Manila in Mandaluyong.
“This is the mindset that we are building to the PBA, and we will be a game-changer with our passion and drive to give a better experience to all our loyal PBA fans. This goes to show that we are here to compete, and we are here to compete to win. Palaban kami kahit sa labas ng court,” he added.
Former PBA Commissioner Atty. Chito Salud, now Converge’s representative to the Board, said the league and fans should expect the FiberXers to show their true worth.
“We didn’t join the PBA to be an embarrassment and we will do our best not to be that,” Salud said. “We have to show results. That is our contribution to the league to make it more exciting.”
Converge has retained former Aces coach Jeff Cariaso and his deputies Joe Silva, Danny Ildefonso, Franco Atienza, and Monch Gavieres.
The FiberXers management is also set to negotiate for possible offers to former Alaska players such as Allyn Bulanadi, Kevin Racal, Rob Herndon, Alec Stockton, Jaycee Marcelino, Rey Publico, and Bryan Faundo.
Jeron Teng, Ben Adamos, and Taylor Browne had live contracts with Alaska before it was bought lock, stock, and barrel.
Converge also has the third, fourth, and 15th picks in the draft next month.
“We just acquired the franchise with an existing line-up of players and coaching staff. We don’t want to rock the boat,” Salud said. “We will see how this team moves forward and then through constant recalibration and putting in the right pieces, we can do it. Marching orders from boss Dennis, make this competitive.”
It takes time usually for new teams to gain success in Asia’s first play-for-pay league and Uy wants to change that.
“Just like the PBA, we hope to become a staple in every Filipino’s hopes by capturing the heart of the fans and giving them the entertainment that they want and by adapting to times, the long and storied history of the PBA has a lot of lessons to offer to the company like Converge,” he said.
“That is always aiming to win the hearts of Filipinos. We are excited to commence our journey in building a track record and legacy of excellence, innovation, character, discipline, devotion, and sportsmanship worthy of the respect of the PBA fans. Ang pagmamahal ng Pilipino sa basketball, kakaiba. Sana mas lalong lumakas ang pagmamahal nila sa larong ito dahil sigurado, ibubuhos namin ang puso namin sa bawat laro.”
