PBA: Kia names Manny Pacquiao head coach of their expansion team

Columbian Autocar Corp. (Kia) named Filipino ring icon and congressman Manny Pacquiao their expansion team’s head coach in a press conference on Monday.

"Kailangan ko mapatunayan, di lamang sa boxing, kundi sa basketball ang aking gilas." - KIA head coach

— pbaconnect (@pbaconnect) June 9, 2014
 
 

“Kailangan ko mapatunayan, di lamang sa boxing, kundi sa basketball ang aking gilas,” Pacquiao said, explaining that before boxing, basketball was his passion.

Earlier in May, the team tried to name him their player-coach, in an attempt to circumvent the rule that the three new expansion teams, Kia, NLEX and Blackwater, were not allowed direct hires. The PBA quickly clarified however that even if he were to go that route, Pacquiao would still have to enter through the rookie draft, thus creating the possibility that another squad would snap him up before Kia.

"Yung paglalaro, hindi ko pa alam yan. Ang focus ko ngayon ay yung pagko-coach." - MP

— pbaconnect (@pbaconnect) June 9, 2014
 
 

“Yung paglalaro, hindi ko pa alam yan. Ang focus ko ngayon any yung pagco-coach,” he said in relation to that issue.

Pacquiao was also player-coach with his Liga Pilipinas squad, the MP GenSan Warriors.

The Kia squad, which as of writing, does not have an official name yet, will make its debut in October, in the 2014-15 season of the PBA.  - AMD, GMA News