Pacquiao makes hoop history

The Press room at Philippine Arena was jampacked after the KIA-Blackwater match  last Sunday with everyone anticipating the first appearance of the winning coach at the usual post-game interview.

“In all the years I’ve covered the PBA,  I’ve never seen that many people attend a post-game media briefing. Even league commissioner Chito Salud was there, not to mention several members of the foreign press,” reported a colleague who regularly covers the PBA beat.

The interest was understandable. This was no ordinary coach. This was eight-division champ Manny Pacquiao, and everybody wanted to hear what he had to say about the performance of his rookie team, Sorento and how they managed to overcome the Elite’s nine-point lead in the first quarter  to eventually win the game by a huge margin.

KIA was beaten badly by Blackwater in a preseason tuneup match, making the Sorento the underdog in last Sunday’s encounter.

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Pacquiao told the press he “could not  focus on his game and give it his all against Blackwater last Sunday because his mind was on the upcoming fight with Chris Algieri.” He said he “was also avoiding injury,” as he had “promised [trainer] Freddie Roach.”

He promised the press people they would see a very aggressive Pacquiao on the court “after the fight with Algieri.”

“I hope his mind stays focused on the fight and does not wander off to his KIA team in the PBA when he climbs the ring (in Macau),” said the scribe.

The Pacman returned to General Santos City the other day to resume training for his Nov. 22 fight with the WBO light welterweight champ at Cotai Arena of The Venetian Macao.

“Did you know that on his debut as KIA playing coach last Sunday, Pacquiao established a record that none of the league’s two greatest playing coaches have ever achieved?” my colleague said.

He pointed out that neither Sonny Jaworski nor Mon Fernandez won their first games as playing-coach—Jaworski for Gilbey’s Gin in 1986 and Fernandez for Purefoods in 1988.

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No one warned him about the long walk required to get around the Philippine Arena, that’s why Pacquiao’s financial adviser Michael Koncz gamely said yes when he was invited to see the debut of the world boxing champ as KIA playing-coach.

By the time Koncz, who is recovering from two successive operations to remove blood clots lodged in the veins of his right leg, realized that he should not have accepted the invite, it was too late.

He had already walked deep into the massive sports complex, with the other members of Team Pacquiao. That must have been one painful walk to remember.