While men his age are either looking for a job or looking for a wife, 23-year-old Jacob Lao is busy leading a professional basketball team to greater heights.
Lao, the team manager of Converge, admitted that becoming the youngest executive in the Philippine Basketball Association is not easy but he is doing his best to fulfill the role usually reserved for seasoned lawyers, retired professional basketball players and corporate heavyweights.
“There are opportunities that are hard to pass on when they present themselves and this is one of them,” said Lao, who played for Ateneo de Manila University in the University Athletic Association of the Philippines.
“To be part of something as prestigious as the PBA, I really want to learn from the best of the best and I think I just really want to help and bring a new culture of winning at Converge and just really learn from every individual I can.”
Lao is a man in a hurry.
His love affair with basketball reached its peak when he and his younger brother, Jared, played for La Salle Green Hills in the National Collegiate Athletic Association.
With future University of the Philippines star JD Cagulangan serving as playmaker, Lao won the NCAA crown in 2017, paving the way for him to be part of the Ateneo Blue Eagles.
At Ateneo, Lao kept on winning.
Lao was part of the squad branded by coach Tab Baldwin as “Buffaloes” for pushing stars like Ange Kouame, Geo Chiu, Kai Balunggay and Dave Ildefonso to the limit during practices until they won the UAAP crown in Season 85.
Lao said despite being trained by his father — FJ Group chairperson Frank Lao — to run a business at such an early age, it was his experience as student-athlete in two of the best educational institutions in the country which prepared him for his current role.
“Well at a very young age, we were exposed and trained by our parents to be involved with our family businesses, and since my family has been in the food industry for a while now, I really wanted to help out and learn the ropes of the business,” Lao said.
“I learned about time management and learning how to harmonize everything so that one doesn’t get overlooked over the other.”
But a management role at Converge is one of the many hats he is wearing nowadays.
Lao also serves as team manager of College of Saint Benilde men’s team, Letran College boys’ team and team consultant of Farm Fresh in the Premier Volleyball League.
Meanwhile, his sister, Janica, is the team manager of the Foxies while Jared is the team manager of University of the East women’s volleyball and boys’ basketball teams, making them one of the most influential families in collegiate sports.
Lao’s managerial skills were tested when his Strong Group Realty competed in the 32nd Dubai International Championship early this year. He signed his former teammates, Cagulangan, Kouame and BJ Andrade, as well as Justine Baltazar, Jerom Lastimosa and LeBron Lopez with Blazers head coach Charles Tiu calling the shots.
For good measure, he brought in former National Basketball Association players Nick Young and Renaldo Balkman to round out one of the strongest teams ever assembled.
“Well, with the help of boss Frank and coach Charles Tiu, we made some calls and through some friends, we were able to work out a deal with Nick Young and his camp,” Lao said.
He added that the mutual respect between him and the teams he manages is crucial for a harmonious relationship. He also makes himself available all the time, especially to his former teammates.
“Well, treating them with respect and just having some genuine conversations with them,” Lao said.
“I make myself available to them, especially at times when they need me. After all, more than sports and business, building personal and genuine relationships are far better.”
“With my former teammates and opponents, no different, they were all big brothers and people that I looked after before so just having a mutual respect. But it’s good having them because familiar faces are always a win for everybody.”
Lao stressed that having the willingness to learn and being humble are some of the features that put him to where he is right now. And despite the tightness of his schedule, he still makes sure to have time for himself and give back to the community.
“Be a sponge, learn as much as you can, absorb everything from everyone especially the elderly, they have the most experience and the smartest, and they can teach you so much about what you think you know in life. Keep your head down, be humble and just do the work. No such thing as overnight success, but there are things such as consistency and things that take time,” Lao said.
“Take good care of yourself and your mental and physical health. For you to be at peak performance your body must be prepared for anything.”
“Count and share your blessings, Sometimes, we forget about the things we should be grateful for and whenever you get a chance to be part of something bigger than yourself, share and pass it on forward.”
Lao may be in a hurry, but he takes things slow when it comes to picking up the values and virtues he needs in life.
After all, life is not a sprint — it’s a marathon.