CONVERGE boosted its roster ahead of the PBA Season 49 Commissioner’s Cup by acquiring the rights to former Gilas Pilipinas sniper Jordan Heading in a trade with Terrafirma.
In return, the FiberXers gave up guard Aljun Melecio, big man Keith Zaldivar plus their first-round pick in the 51st season to the rebuilding Dyip.
Fil-Australian Mr. Heading is set for his debut in Asia’s first play for play league three years after getting picked No. 1 by the Dyip in the special Gilas draft.
The sweet-shooting national team guard, however, didn’t see action for the Dyip and instead took his services to the Taichung Wagor Suns in the T1 League in Taiwan, the Nagasaki Velca in the Japan B.League and the West Adelaide Bearcats in Australia’s NBL1.
Mr. Heading also suited up for the Strong Group Athletics under coach Charles Tiu, making this a reunion with the latter who serves as Converge assistant.
The 6-foot-2 Mr. Heading had previously expressed interest to finally strut his stuff in the PBA when he watched Game 1 of the Governors’ Cup finals between eventual back-to-back champion TNT and Ginebra in Antipolo.
“I think it’s a great league. I’d really like to play here,” he said then.
The FiberXers look to sustain the momentum from their stellar play in the last Governors’ Cup, where they pushed San Miguel Beer to the limit before bowing out of the quarterfinals in five. — Olmin Leyba
