ENDING his collegiate career a champion, Jacob Lao is ready to wear a new hat come the new year as the youngest PBA executive in league history.
"Honestly, very pressuring pero di ko siya ma-explain. Until now when I see it and when I look at things, pressure talaga for me," said the Ateneo guard who in a few days will fulfill his functions as the new assistant team manager of Converge.
"I'm blessed to be in this position and to have that title. I just want to grow, learn, and try to do a good job talaga for Converge."
[READ: Jacob Lao makes jump from UAAP player to PBA team executive]
If it's confusing how a 22-year-old who's about to graduate from his BS Restaurant Entrepreneurship course in Ateneo came to be a top PBA team executive, you got to understand who Lao is.
He is the son of Chinese restaurant magnate Frank Lao, who owns Gloria Maris and Choi Garden, and is a close friend and partner of Converge owner Dennis Anthony Uy.
And he doesn't deny that it was these ties that led to him to the new challenge.
"It's because of my dad, honestly. With connection with uncle Dennis, he wanted help and he asked my dad. And knowing my dad, he will let us explore, make mistakes, and do the things we love.
"I told him na I'm up for the job if it happens and nilagay niya ako sa situation na yun. If he thinks I'm ready for that job, then I'm just gonna follow what his plan is. I trust my dad so much that if it's part of his plan, I'm all for it," he said.
The younger Lao is already a businessman at a young age, owning Beard Papa's.
But the PBA is a different beast of its own, one that he anticipates will be a learning curve as he shadows FiberXers governor Chito Salud, a former league commissioner, and newly appointed team manager and Pampanga governor Delta Pineda.

"I want to learn from them also cause it's something new for me, new environment. I don't know how the PBA works yet, but I think the reason why my dad put me there was my ideas," he said.
"I know how yung mga players na galing college na papasok. Converge is a new team and with coach Aldin [Ayo], we want new guys, fresh young kids. We want to bring great kind of basketball talaga and we have a long term plan for a lot of kids na ini-scout na namin now."
Lao also believes that being exposed to decorated programs like La Salle Greenhills in high school and Ateneo in college has prepared him to take this job as he is pumped to infuse new ideas in this new foray.
"I think those concepts that we have coming from one of the best offensive coaches here in coach Tab [Baldwin], and add that to one of the best defensive coaches in coach Aldin [Ayo], if you blend that together, I don't know what's going to happen to other teams," he said.
"I'm excited for Converge and for the players there to learn and pick up new stuff. I just really want to help improve pa yung basketball na we have here kasi basketball here, growing sport talaga. May mga di pa nadi-discover ang mga tao na advanced sa aming college players because of our coaches, so I want to bring that also."
So how does Lao plan to juggle his obligations come 2023?
"Syempre I still have to finish my school, but I only have a subject left so nothing much to do," he said with a chuckle. "I'm gonna be ready and focused on that. I'm excited for 2023 and what's in store for Converge."
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