Pacquiao set to do a Jaworski, as he aims to be a PBA playing coach

Manny Pacquiao has reached another milestone in his remarkable career.

The “Fighter of the Decade” and eight division world champion will soon step onto the basketball court in the second longest-running professional league in the world when he assumes the position of playing coach of KIA Motors.

KIA Motors is one of three expansion teams that have been accepted by the PBA and are set to begin competing in the 2014-15 PBA season later this year.

The two other teams are leading PBA D-League squads NLEX and Blackwater with each of the three new ballclubs paying the PBA a franchise fee of P100 million each even though they failed to get the concessions they were requesting in order to maintain some measure of competitive balance.

In a conversation with Yahoo Philippines and reporter Dyan Castillejo of ABS-CBN prior to addressing an overflow crowd that braved the stifling heat for hours to listen to Pacquiao preach at the Cuneta Astrodome, Pacquiao said he was “very excited” about his new role as a playing-coach in the PBA.

Pacquiao informed us of his acceptance of an offer to be playing-coach of the KIA expansion team, following a meeting with top executives of Columbia Motors in Makati before he proceeded to the Cuneta Astrodome where a huge crowd waited to listen to his message.

Pacquiao said he will play as a point guard but only on a limited basis  and plans to recruit players from the expansion draft in July and would also search for assistant coaches to help him out in the biggest, most demanding basketball league in the country.

We learned that Pacquiao was eager to tap the services of former outstanding national coach Joe Lipa who was a disciple of the magnificent American mentor Ron Jacobs and for whom Jacobs had the highest regard.

In fact Lipa met with Pacquiao in his hometown of General Santos City last week where they discussed basketball related matters and plans for the fighter’s Pacman team from Sarangani.

Lipa told us he was totally impressed with Pacquiao’s sincerity and humility and added, “this man is for real.”

Pacquiao plays basketball regularly as part of his physical conditioning for his fights and also because he has a passion for the sport and believes that his moves on the court enhance his lateral movements in the ring.

His celebrated trainer Freddie Roach supported Pacquiao’s childhood friend and assistant trainer Restituto “Buboy” Fernandez who wanted Manny to scrap running up the mountain side as part of his physical conditioning and to concentrate on enhancing his lateral movements.

When we informed Pacquiao that Mexican legend Marco Antonio Barrera told us “the fight I want to see is Pacquiao-Floyd Mayweather,” Pacquiao said “I like that, it’s great but Mayweather doesn’t want to  fight me.”

There was a perceptible tone of regret when he made the statement.

Asked what he was going to talk about at the service, Pacquiao said “it will be about repentance and relationships” which was considered relevant considering his wild and wooly ways of years gone by and his family ties particularly with his charming wife Jinkee.

Pacquiao stressed that “when you decide to follow Jesus Christ, your whole life must be given to God and to glorify his name.”

When questioned about how he combats temptation considering his past wayward ways, Pacquiao said, “I always put the full armor of God so that when the day of evil comes you may be able to stand on the ground. My armor is the word of God.”

Dressed in a stylish blue suit with a blue checkered shirt, Pacquiao reflected the aura of a man at peace with himself and with the world and someone who was overjoyed that his fifth child, a boy named Israel, and Jinkee were fine and had gone home.

As Joe Lipa pointed out, Manny Pacquiao is for real.