There is a ton of concern whenever boxing superstar Manny Pacquiao decides to take on something new in his life.
It’s as if people want Pacquiao to do nothing more than take on all challengers in the ring and keep the flame of being “Pambansang Kamao” (the national fist) alive for as long as possible.
Pacquiao’s show biz forays as singer, movie actor, comedian and game-show host were forgiven as occasional if not natural dips by someone who was already in the public eye. It was Pacquiao trying to have fun while waiting for his next bout.
His entry into politics raised a few eyebrows as pundits scoffed at the champion’s qualifications. The first attempt was a knockout of Pacquiao at the polls but the second attempt secured him a congressional seat.
Pacquiao insiders know that the champion is motivated to help his townmates and going for a congressional seat seemed like a natural thing to do.
And now this jump into professional basketball has tongues wagging again.
Pacquiao has been introduced as the new coach of Kia, one of the new kids on the block in the next PBA season. The talk going around is that he will be a playing-coach, but that depends, of course, if he does send his player application so that he can properly pass through the annual draft.
Pacquiao has been known as a basketball die-hard, using the sport for recreation and cross training. A basketball court is a part of one of his homes.
He has joyfully attended NBA games and rubbed elbows with some of the game’s biggest stars. There’s no doubt about his interest but as to how he will fare against the best coaches of the land is going to be the intriguing test.
For one, he knows the game and is most probably like most Filipino males who have an opinion on the sport. Listen to any huddle in a barber shop, corner store or street basketball court and you can tell that Filipinos can dissect the game using zesty Pinoy hoop terms and high-end NBA speak.
But as to whether Pacquiao can coach in a real-game situation and in high-stakes tournament like the PBA remains to be seen.
Interest will not be enough as a tremendous amount of time will have to be invested in studying game video, scouting opponents, running nearly daily practices and even dealing with the other tasks of being a head coach.
Pacquiao has expressed that his team will train like he does, but we all know that preparing for the ring is different from getting ready for the hardcourt.
Sure, he will have assistants to do some of the work but the onus is clearly on Pacquiao’s lap. When a decision has to be made when the game is on the line or when things are not going well, the assistants step back and defer to the top man. It’s not passing the buck but a natural choreography that happens along the sidelines.
Kia has already achieved its initial exposure objectives by getting the most high-profile athlete to carry its banner for now. The true test will come later on when the needs for wins will be important to justify its participation in the long run.
That’s when Manny Pacquiao will need everything he has learned about competing and what he will glean from basketball coaching.