Trainer Freddie Roach said in a Manny Pacquiao next fight update that he has given the Filipino boxing icon the green light to make his professional basketball debut on Sunday.
Roach said in an interview with PhilBoxing that Pacquiao will play in the opening of the 2014-15 Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) season that is set to kick off on Sunday.
Pacquiao, who was selected as the 11th overall pick in the rookie draft, agreed to play limited minutes for Kia Sorento, one of the new teams in the PBA. Aside from his playing debut, 'Pacman' will also coach in his first game in the professional ranks.
"He told me that there's one game he has to go, and I said, 'Manny, you told me you'll be the coach of that game.' He said, 'I'm gonna play a couple of minutes, and I'm gonna coach the rest of the time.' So there is one more game, yes," Roach said in the Manny Pacquiao next fight interview.
The Hall of Fame trainer also made an appeal to Pacquiao's basketball opponent to go easy on him so that the former pound-for-pound king will not sustain any injury that would hurt his chances in his upcoming showdown against Chris Algieri on Nov. 22 in Macau, China.
"I know how tough and sometimes rough basketball games here are and all. I beg his would-be rivals to please take care of Manny. You can block his shots, steal the ball away, but please don't hurt him," Roach said. "Like boxing, Manny's doing this not only for his passion for basketball, but to make the basketball fans happy. Much as I don't want to play him, especially in this period of preparation for a coming fight, I just can't stop him completely."
But after making his debut on Sunday, Roach insisted in the Manny Pacquiao next fight update that he will force "Pacman" to stay away from other commitments one month from his upcoming WBO welterweight title defense against Algieri.
