ANTIPOLO – After brief stopover, Jaydee Tungcab finally found imself on a team that has long wanted him.
The 29-year-old Tungcab said his current stint with Converge was a long time coming, admitting the FiberXers has been eyeing his services even from way back.
“Actually dati pa naman talaga ako kinukuha ng Converge nung nasa TNT pa lang ako. Wala lang talagang opportunity na makuha ako,” he said.
Tungcab instead, found himself landing at Blackwater in a three-team trade two years ago that centered around former no. 1 overall pick Brandon Ganuelas-Rosser going to the Tropang 5G.
READ: Clark, Abueva, Arana help Converge put an end to four-game slump
For the next two years, the 6-foot-3 Tungcab spent time suiting up for the Bossing in a stint twice marred by injuries – a fractured hand that kept him out for about three months, and later on, an ACL injury on his right knee that shut him down for almost the entire Season 50.
At the tail-end of his ACL recovery last April, Blackwater decided not to renew his contract, making Tungcab an automatic unrestricted free agent.
That’s when Converge entered the picture.
“So ito nga nung naging UFA ako, yun na, nangyari na,” he said.
Now Tungcab is making the most of the opportunity being given him by the FiberXers after finally being given the go-signal to play again at the start of the PBA Governors Cup.
On Tuesday night, the guard out of University of the Philippines played his best game with Converge as he waxed hot right from the start in a runaway 120-103 rout of Terrafirma at the Ynares Center here.
Tungcab started out for the FiberXers and scored nine of his 13 points in the opening period, helping the FiberXers pull away early from the Dyip.
He finished 3-of-4 from three point range and added three rebounds in the win that snapped Converge’s four-game skid and improved to an even 4-4 record.
Tungcab said the adjustment continues for him especially since he’s been away from playing for almost a year.
“Medyo nag-a-adjust pa rin kasi especially sa akin ang tagal ko rin nawala sa liga. Hindi rin siya madali para sa akin,” said Tungcab, who was the no. 4 pick of TNT in the Gilas special draft in Season 46.
“Ina-alam ko pa rin yung system naming and nakikipag-connect ako sa mga teammates ko para maging komportable ako sa kanila and para sa mga plays madali.”
Tungcab won a championship with TNT in the 2023 Governors’ Cup, a feat he hopefully will be repeated now that he’s with Converge.
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