Aris Dionisio found himself too stunned to speak the moment he learned about his trade to Titan Ultra for Chris Koon in a straight-up swap.
And that was understandable, given the fact that he spent his first five seasons in the league with one of the PBA’s most popular ball clubs.
“Nung sinabi ni Coach LA ‘yun, medyo nalungkot lang ako, siyempre ‘yung ilang years ko ng pag-stay doon,” said the 30-year-old winger as he recalled the conversation he and Hotshots head coach LA Tenorio had over the phone.
Dionisio, however, was quick to acknowledge his new reality, since he understands that these situations are part of professional hoops.
“Nung ma-trade nga parang natulala lang ako, and then OK na ulit,” the ninth overall pick of the 2019 Rookie Draft said.
“Siguro ito kako ‘yung parang way ni Lord para mag-start ako ng bago, and makapaglaro ng maayos na rin.”
About eight days after the trade was approved, the lefty wing made his Giant Risers debut on Wednesday. And he proved to be their lucky charm as they topped Blackwater, 97-86, to end a four-game slide in the Season 50 Philippine Cup.
Dionisio showed glimpses of what he can bring to the table for the new ball club. He finished with three points and eight rebounds, plus an assist and a pair of steals in the 26 minutes and 14 seconds he saw action off the bench.
All that, he said, was big thanks to how comfortable he felt from the very first day he joined Titan Ultra with the presence of familiar faces such as his former Magnolia teammate in Calvin Abueva.
“Unang-una, si The Beast. Tinawagan ako,” he said, when asked who among the Giant Risers welcomed him. “Kasi from Magnolia pa lang talagang ka-close ko na siya, kaibigan. And then si Asiong, si Balanza. Then, si Fran Yu.”
“Sila ‘yung talagang mga ka-close ko na since wala pa sa PBA kaya pagdating ko roon, welcome na welcome nila ako, harutan agad,” he added, smiling.
Dionisio’s arrival has given Titan Ultra added experience in its maiden league journey, although the St. Clare College legend is simply sticking to what has been his bread-and-butter since his Magnolia days — playing defense.
“Nung pagdating ko, sinabi naman nila na kung ano lang ‘yung laro mo, ‘yun lang ‘yung itulong mo rito sa team. ‘Yung score naman, kahit nung nasa Magnolia ako, hindi ko naman iniisip eh,” the former Manila Stars big man said.
“And si Coach Bonnie Tan, kinausap ako, sabi niya kaya ikaw kinuha namin is ‘yung defense mo talaga ‘yung kailangan namin dito sa Titan, so pakita mo lang ‘yung talagang ikaw sa defense para makatulong ka ng maganda sa team.”
#WATCH: “SOBRANG KOMPORTABLE AGAD”
Aris Dionisio says he fit in quickly with Titan Ultra as he saw a lot of familiar faces with the Giant Risers 🏀#ReadMore 👉 https://t.co/WawPKUsRHD
📹 @justinebacnis /Tiebreaker Times#PBA50 pic.twitter.com/ejWL8474MV
— Tiebreaker Times (@tiebreakertimes) November 5, 2025
