Manny Pacquiao is about to take his second favorite sport, basketball, to a whole new level.
In a report by GMA News, Manny Pacquiao is eyeing to join the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) draft in August 2014 at the Robinson's Midtown Manila mall. Pacquiao is 34 years old and may be the oldest draft pick in the history of the PBA.
Pacquiao shared that he is one of the picks in the draft. He is also the coach of new expansion team Kia Motors. Local born applicants for the draft have to file their applications and other requirements by August 13. The final list of draft candidates will be presented a week later.
Rappler writes that many fans and Filipino citizens were concerned that Pacquiao may already have a lot in his hands. Besides being a future Hall-of-Famer in boxing, he is also the Congressman of the Sarangani province in the Philippines. He spends several hours in the studio, taping advertisements and occasional TV shows and is very active in his church. People are wondering if he can still be at his best come November 2014 when he faces another contender for his boxing title.
As the head coach of the new expansion team, Pacquiao will be pitting himself against league veterans like Tim Cone and Norman Black. If he plays in the PBA, he will be going up against top-notch stars like Jimmy Alapag, Mark Barocca and L.A. Tenorio. Many people speculate that Pacquiao is engaging in professional basketball merely for public beaming.
Pacquiao is one of the most marketable celebrities in the Philippines. Despite his lack of size and height as a professional basketball player, PBA officials believe that he can bring more money into the league as thousands of his fans may stay tuned on television or purchase tickets to watch him try another sport live. Even international networks would be interested in showing a world boxing champion play professional basketball.
Officials said that it is likely that Pacquiao will be drafted, although not first, because of his entertainment value. He is expected to be among the first picked, however. One source told Rappler, "To me, it's more of a publicity beaming, more than anything else." The source added, "I'm sure he made arrangements with the other teams not to draft him. Without a doubt, there's an agreement that he won't be picked by another team." Furthermore, Pacquiao will have to be evaluated first for his basketball skills.