Phoenix ushers in new era with James Dickey III as import under new coach Charles Tiu 

A new chapter is officially underway in Phoenix Super LPG, and it begins with a bold import choice that signals how Charles Tiu plans to reshape the Fuel Masters.

James Dickey III has been locked in as Phoenix’s first reinforcement under Tiu’s watch, a move the young coach confirmed as he kicked off his tenure with the team. While the timing of the import market posed challenges, Tiu made it clear that landing Dickey was a win in itself.

“It’s really not the best time of the year to get imports since the leagues in Japan, Korea, and Taiwan are already in full swing, but we’re still lucky to get James,” Tiu said.

“Though he is still relatively young, he already has experience, and hopefully, with his height and athleticism, he can help us this conference.”

At 6-foot-10, Dickey brings size and mobility to a Phoenix squad that is clearly leaning toward a faster, more modern style. A product of the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, Dickey may have gone undrafted in 2020, but his professional journey since has been anything but quiet.

The American big man has built a résumé across Europe, suiting up in Hungary, Germany, Israel, France, and Ukraine before finding stability in Indonesia with Pelita Jaya. There, he spent the last two years competing at a high level and even shared the floor with Barangay Ginebra star Justin Brownlee.

Before parting ways with Pelita Jaya late last year, Dickey was posting strong all-around numbers, averaging 18.7 points, 11.7 rebounds, and 2.0 assists per game—production Phoenix hopes will translate seamlessly to the PBA stage.

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Phoenix is the first team to have an import for the Com Cup in 6’10 James Dickey. An ex-teammate of Justin Brownlee with Pelita Jaya, Dickey averaged just under 19 pts and 12 reb in Indonesia.

The 29 y/o was named 2018 Southern Conference Defensive Player of the Year in college.

— PBA insider (@PBAinsider) January 22, 2026

Dickey’s arrival comes amid a period of heavy transition for the Fuel Masters. Prior to Tiu taking over, the franchise moved on from several veterans, including RJ Jazul, RR Garcia, Yousef Taha, J-Jay Alejandro, Sean Manganti, and James Kwekuteye, while committing to rookie Will Gozum with a two-year contract.

Despite the turnover, Tiu isn’t short on optimism.

“Jason [Perkins] will still be our leader on the court, and Ricci [Rivero] impressed me so much — he’s actually much better than I thought. I think he’s going to be a huge part of our team,” he said.

“I also like our point guards Tyler [Tio] and Evan [Nelle]. They can really run our system well.”

Youth may define Phoenix on paper, but Tiu sees hunger as the equalizer.

“Even if our team is younger compared to the others, we’re ready to give every team a run for their money. We want to compete hard and show that we can be a tough matchup for anyone.”

With Dickey anchoring the middle and a retooled core buying into Tiu’s vision, Phoenix Super LPG is wasting no time making its intentions clear in this new era.

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