Converge FiberXers rookie Juan Gomez de Liaño is living his hoops dream, and he’s checked off one box: becoming a PBA All-Star.
The super rookie admitted in an interview with the PBA that making the All-Star team in Asia’s first pay-for-play league was one of his childhood dreams, and that he’s extremely honored and grateful that it has happened.
“It’s truly an honor to be part of the All-Star, especially in my first season in the PBA,” Gomez de Liaño said. “As kids and as players, we dreamed of this growing up, to be part of the All-Star team. Now that I have the chance to participate in it, it’s truly a blessing.”
Juan Gomez de Liaño a Hit with Fans
Making things sweeter is that Juan Gomez de Liaño was voted in by PBA fans, underscoring his increasing popularity and name recall across the country. That didn’t stop JGDL from feeling a bit surprised—and “truly thankful” at the same time.
“I was surprised,” the rookie admitted. “I honestly didn’t expect that, to be third in the voting [in the North]. But I’m just truly thankful and super grateful to everyone who voted and supported me.”
That fan support really isn’t surprising. Juan Gomez de Liaño has been spectacular in his rookie season thus far, putting up 19.0 points, 7.6 rebounds, and 6.7 assists in the PBA Philippine Cup.
JGDL Looking Forward to Competitive Game, Matchup with Teammate
Even better, JGDL will be joining four other FiberXers in the main game, as the recently acquired Calvin Abueva, Justin Arana, Justine Baltazar, and Alec Stockton are also PBA All-Stars in Season 50. This, according to Juan Gomez de Liaño, speaks a lot about the franchise he hopes to lead to championship relevance.
“I’ll be teammates with Calvin, Justin, and Balti. Five players from Converge now, part of the All-Star. It’s truly a privilege, and I think the team should be really proud, the whole franchise itself, and the Converge team. I think that’s a great accomplishment, having five All-Stars on one team,” JGDL pointed out.
But one FiberXer, Stockton, will be playing for a different team, and it will surely add a twist to what JGDL expects to be “a fun and competitive game.”
