CONVERGE ICT announced in a team presentation on Tuesday that it has retained the core of the Alaska Aces franchise for its Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) debut in the next 47th season that starts later this month.
The team also bared that its players will be called the FiberXers.
“We will play passionately and competitively in all our games,” team owner Dennis Anthony Uy told media during the team’s official launch in a Mandaluyong City hotel. “Converge is ready to take on this new challenge in an arena where passion fuels the competition.”
Uy said former PBA commissioner Chito Salud, who will sit as Converge’s representative to the PBA boatd, decides on the team’s composition but as expected, the league newcomer retained the core of the Alaska franchise it bought last month.
Former Alaska team governor Dickie Bachmann will team manager and so will Jeffrey Cariaso as head coach.
Converged retained former Aces Jeron Teng, Ben Adamos, Rey Publico, Jaycee Marcelino, Allyn Bulanadi and Bryan Faundo, who attended the event, as well as Abu Tratter, who’s currently in the US.
“It’s very challenging right now and we just have to make a few moves to strengthen our lineup by picking shooters and big men,” Salud said. “We will explore everything through drafts and trades,” Salud said.