Manny Pacquiao's professional basketball team in the Philippines could get an immediate boost should the eight-division champion's plan of hiring ex-Lakers forward Metta World Peace pushes through.
Pacquiao, who will be a playing coach of the KIA Motors team in the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA), said he wants to get the services of Peace, who currently plays for the Sichuan Blue Whales in the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA).
The PBA, which has a three-conference format, allows teams to hire a foreign player to boost their roster. Foreign players usually suit up in the second and third conferences, right after the initial tournament where only locals are allowed to play.
Quoted by The Philippine Star, Pacquiao said he wants to tap Peace for one of the two conferences. "He's OK. He's my friend," he was quoted as saying.
Peace first met Pacquiao in 2009, when the latter was preparing for his match-up against Puerto Rico's Miguel Cotto whom he beat in nine rounds.
Of course, Peace's availability will depend on his schedule as well as the salary. Compared to the CBA, the PBA has a lower salary for foreign players at $20,000 a month. In his last year with the New York Knicks, Peace was paid around $1.6 million.
Professional basketball is the latest venture of Pacquiao, who also serves as a representative of Saranggani province in the Philippine Congress. The country's most successful athlete of all-time is also a businessman, commercial endorser, and part-time TV actor.
Last week, he was drafted by KIA Motors as the 11th overall pick in the PBA Draft. However, he won't be available for the opening night of the PBA on October as he would be busy preparing for his fight against Chris Algieri in Macau on November.
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