ANTIPOLO – Archie Concepcion submitted another solid outing since coming back to the PBA to help Converge get past Blackwater on Saturday.
And that didn’t happen by chance.
The Kapampangan guard admitted wanting to prove that he belongs, and the opportunity couldn’t be more perfect as he competed against his ex-team.
“Siguro po nandun ‘yung gusto kong i-prove ‘yung sarili ko na kaya ko rin maglaro rito,” he said shortly after their 99-94 win at the Ynares Center here.
“Medyo may konting ano rin… gusto kong patunayan, ganon.”
Concepcion was drafted 37th overall by Blackwater in the Season 48 Draft after earning Draft Combine MVP honors.
He did see action for the Bossing, but his stay didn’t last long, and the former Arellano Chief would find himself back with Pampanga in the MPBL.
But just last October, the 29-year-old returned to the country’s premier league as he was signed by the FiberXers of new head coach Delta Pineda.
Fast forward to Saturday, when Concepcion played his fourth game with the young franchise and delivered significantly with eight points.
He went 2-for-2 from three-point distance, both of which he made in the third quarter as he helped push their lead to its highest at 12, 74-62.
“Sa akin po, ‘yung sinasabi lang ni Gov na basta ‘pag libre ka, tumira ka,” he said. “Every time na pinapasok po ako ni Gov, yung tiwala niya andun po eh.
“Kaya every time na tumitira ako sabi ko sa sarili ko, ‘Papasok ‘to,’” added Concepcion, who also finished with a plus-minus rating of 16.
His showing has actually left no one at Converge surprised. Since his team debut versus Terrafirma, the Mexico-native has been providing steadily.
After scoring just three against the Dyip, Concepcion would score nine points each against Phoenix and then San Miguel — assignments which they split.
Then came his performance against Blackwater, which ultimately helped the FiberXers improve to 4-2 in the Season 50 Philippine Cup standings.
More than proving his worth, it’s also the competitiveness within his new team that’s bringing the best out of Concepcion, thus his showings.
“‘Yung dinatnan ko po na team, hindi naman po biro eh. Ang daming talented na player like [Alec] Stockton, Schonny Winston, ka-posisyon ko po,” he said.
“Ang dami ko pong natututunan sa kanila. Kaya pagdating sa laro, nabibigay ko po ‘yung best ko.”
#WATCH: “GUSTO KONG I-PROVE SA SARILI KO NA KAYA KONG MAGLARO DITO”
Archie Concepcion says playing the likes of Alec Stockton, Juan Gomez de Liano, and Schonny Winston is pushing him to be better 🏀#ReadMore 👉 https://t.co/Vy6VJ0A5KM
📹 @justinebacnis /Tiebreaker Times pic.twitter.com/JzUaaWvT2u
— Tiebreaker Times (@tiebreakertimes) November 8, 2025
