CHICAGO -- The Converge FiberXers have been busy like a colony of ants the past few months, moving around personnel with the high turnover rate of a call center.
Throughout those processes, one familiar name has been conspicuously unseen and unheard.
Last December 2022, the then 22-year-old ascended as team manager, the youngest to ever hold the position in the history of the PBA.
The hiring garnered universal acclaim around the league as Jacob carried with him to the job a wealth of experience in the often intersecting worlds of business and sports.
The son of billionaire entrepreneur Frank Lao of Strong Group Athletics and FJ Group whose diversely massive portfolio includes mining, hotels and restaurants, used to be the face and voice of the FiberXers trades and acquisitions.
Until he wasn't.
SO, WHAT HAPPENED?
Well, the social media buzz that Jacob, a former Blue Eagle and Ateneo academic achiever, will come galloping back like a knight in shining, shimmering armor is patently false.
As it turned out, he never left to begin with.
"Na busy lang siya with other ventures," a team source explained.
A fitness buff, Jacob has also devoted a lot of time and energy to Hyrox competitions, the source added.
Still, things can be juggled and delegated, so why has Jacob been out of the picture at Converge?
Apparently, alternate governor CK Kanapi has not been giving Jacob notice and info on player signings and trades since April. Which explains why Jacob wasn't in the photo of the team announcing the contract extension signing of Schonny Winston, a person with knowledge of the situation told SPIN.ph.
If true, an alleged omission of such scale is a type of corporate misdemeanor that can be harmful to team morale.
BACK IN THE LIMELIGHT.
That's about to change as Jacob will be more active and visible again as the team prepares for what could be a watershed moment for the franchise in the upcoming Season 50.
Jacob was the architect of significant deals that include the contract renewals of Justine Arana and Alec Stockton while quietly prying the rights of Jordan Heading from listless Terrafirma.
On the heels of a report from my SPIN.ph colleague and podcast partner Snow Badua that Converge is in play for a swap involving the rights of Phoenix's No.2 overall pick in the upcoming Rookie Draft, Jacob's looming presence is not suggested, it's required.
But his most important mission is to conquer the Mt. Everest of contract signings and get a deal done with the mercurial Mikey Williams.
It's Jacob's ladder to further burnish his image as a mover and shaker.
And that's pleasant news to Converge FiberXers fans.
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