Following a surprising conference where they nearly toppled the powerhouse San Miguel Beermen in the 2024 PBA Governors’ Cup quarterfinals, the Converge FiberXers have retooled and are ready for the upcoming Commissioner’s Cup.
One key acquisition for the FiberXers is Jordan Heading, the top overall pick in the Gilas round of the 2020 PBA Rookie Draft.
Bringing Heading to Converge required several moving parts, and the Filipino-Australian sniper expressed his gratitude to the FiberXers management for making it happen.
“I’m really happy to finally be able to live back home and hoop out here full-time. It’s been a long roundabout journey, but I’m excited to finally kick off my PBA career,” Heading shared with Tiebreaker Times.
The 28-year-old guard believes his transition will be smooth, as he’ll be working with Charles Tiu and Rajko Toroman – the coaching duo of Strong Group.
“I had great experiences with SGA, so it feels like an easy transition,” added Heading, who was part of Strong Group’s Dubai and Jones Cup teams this year.
Another major addition, set to join Converge next month, is this year’s top overall pick, Justine Baltazar. Heading is already familiar with Baltazar’s game, having played with him under Tab Baldwin’s Gilas and Strong Group.
“Obviously, everyone has been waiting on Balti to get here for a while, and the excitement is justified,” said Heading about the soon-to-be two-time MPBL MVP from Pampanga.
“He’s a dynamic player that I’ve always enjoyed playing with, whether at SGA or Gilas.”
After stints in Taichung and Nagasaki, Heading is eager to showcase his skills for his countrymen and lead Converge’s young squad alongside Baltazar.
“Converge is a young and exciting team that plays with a lot of energy and pace. I think that fits my style of play, and I’m excited to see how I can complement the guys.”