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    COLUMN: Converge power shift puts 'Delta' Pineda in charge

    Delta. Ayo. Lao. New Big 3 at helm of PBA's youngest team
    Apr 11, 2023
    aldin ayo, dennis delta pineda, chito salud, jacob lao
    PHOTO: UAAP / Spin.ph
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    CHICAGO - Although their franchise is still in the stages of infancy, taking sweet, gentle steps to be relevant and competitive, the Converge FiberXers have made their intentions crystal clear.

    They're not just in the PBA to hawk a product and cash in on the league's immense marketing weight. They're in it to win it.

    Exhibit A is the team's three straight quarterfinals appearances in as many conferences, incandescent proof that an independent team can succeed so long as management devotes the necessary manpower and financial resources needed.

    READ: Danny I open to come back if Converge wants him to

    Off the court, Converge is just as progressive.

    On Monday I was told, by no less than one of the organization's most powerful figures who chose to be anonymous, that Pampanga Governor Dennis Pineda is taking charge as team governor.

    Known in Pampanga as "Delta," Pineda was previously the team's player development consultant and team manager in 2022. He will now represent the FiberXers in the PBA board.

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      Former PBA commissioner Chito Salud, the previous occupant of Pineda's post, eases into the role as alternate governor. His contributions and pace in the franchise remains invaluable.

      Pineda, the former mayor of Lubao and vice-governor of Pampanga, wasn't alone in ascending the ranks at Converge.

      JACOB LAO also climed the corporate ladder and became, at 23, the youngest team manager in the history of the PBA.

      New blood. Fresh ideas.

      Just what the doctor ordered for the PBA.

      Dennis Pineda Delta Pineda

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      Pineda is no stranger to Philippine basketball. He is a champion coach with deep ties to NBL Pilipinas and the PSL. His passionate support for hoops in the provinces through the Pineda Basketball Training Camp, is well-documented.

      And so too is the cadre of talents that he had helped develop, a starry, starry list that includes Arwind Santos, Calvin Abueva, and Ian Sangalang, to name just a few.

      WITH HIS PROVEN SUCCESS IN GRASSROOTS BASKETBALL, PLUS THE WISDOM OF HIS 48 YEARS, PINEDA CAN ASSIST IN BRINGING THE PBA MUCH MORE CLOSER TO THE MASSES.

      Jacob Lao, meanwhile, brings five-star credentials to the manager's job with his Ateneo degree and UAAP champion's pedigree.

      Lao has an eye for talent, a trait Converge needs as it continues to put together a group of guys who can put up a steady, stubborn resistance against established powerhouses such as Ginebra, Talk N' Text, San Miguel and Magnolia.

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      It was Lao who assembled the Strong Group contingent that took part in the 32nd Dubai Invitational Basketball Championships last January. Had Ange Kouame and Nick Young been healthy, that team would have battled for the title under coach Charles Tiu.

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      Lao has a wealth of connections in the international basketball scene. This allows Converge to stay in step with the competition when it comes to acquiring highly serviceable reinforcements in the import-laden conferences.

      With coach Aldin Ayo signed to a lucrative five-year deal, per my sources, Converge arguably has a Big Three.

      Delta. Ayo. Lao.

      Sounds like a winner.

      Get more of the latest sports news & updates on SPIN.ph

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      PHOTO: UAAP / Spin.ph
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