Jordan Heading is fast-tracking his return to the hardwood in an attempt to join his new team, TNT, following the shocking trade pulled off on Wednesday.
The lefty combo guard is doubling down on rehabilitation as he continues to recover from a back injury that has kept him idle on the sidelines since the ongoing PBA Season 49 Philippine Cup raised its curtains.
“I’m doubling it up — I’m trying to do it two times, three times a day. I’m tryna do whatever I can to get back out on the court faster,” he said.
“But, as we kinda ramp up things on myself, I’ll just continue to assess the situation,” added the 29-year-old. “Continue to assess how my body’s feeling. Just trying not to rush into anything that’s too soon.”
Heading said as much to reporters on Wednesday evening at the Philsports Arena in Pasig after watching Converge pull off a come-from-behind, 117-103 victory over the upset-hungry Terrafirma.
It became a farewell of sorts, as he’s heading for the Grand Slam-seeking Tropang 5G after a straight-swap for the inactive Mikey Williams, which is waiting for the league’s approval to push through.
“I didn’t really know where to stand, I didn’t really know where to sit,” he said, smiling, when asked how it felt being with the FiberXers hours after the news broke. “But at the same time, I still wanna see these guys play.
“I still wanna come in here and be in the locker room one last time. And, tell everyone that I appreciate them”and I had a really great time here, and I’m thankful for everything that happened here.”
The top pick of the special Gilas draft back in 2021, Heading finds himself in a trade for the second time within a span of six months.
Terrafirma originally sent his draft rights to Converge in exchange for Aljun Melecio, Keith Zaldivar and the FiberXers’ first-round pick for the 2025 Draft just last November, or during the Season 49 Governors’ Cup.
Now, he’s heading to a traditional league powerhouse, and Heading couldn’t feel more excited with the prospect of succeeding with TNT.
That explains his determination to return to form and help a Tropang 5G side whose backcourt has been battered and bruised, with Rey Nambatac the latest to go down due to a partial tear on his groin.
“Having won back-to-back conferences, this third conference for them obviously, bodies are starting to wear thin, and guys are, respectfully, tired,” he offered. “So hopefully, I can get myself into shape, and get myself healthy.
“So, I can help them as soon as possible — whether that’s this conference or next conference, we’ll see,” he continued. “But it’s exciting to go to a club with so much history and a club with a lot of class as well.”
But of course, he knows that it will all depend on how his body responds as he continues to undergo rehab to heal and strengthen his back.
“As we kinda ramp up things on myself, I’ll just continue to assess the situation, continue to assess how my body’s feeling. Just trying not to rush into anything that’s too soon,” Heading said.
“But we’ll see just what I can do.”
#WATCH: “I’M GRATEFUL TO CONVERGE” 🙏
Jordan Heading expresses his thanks to Converge for the opportunity, as he gets ready to join TNT 🏀
📹 @justinebacnis /Tiebreaker Times #PBA2025 pic.twitter.com/W5troy86jo
— Tiebreaker Times (@tiebreakertimes) May 28, 2025
