Kia negotiating on Pacquiao, but won’t prevent him from leaving team for MPBL

FROM the initial itself, the Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball (MPBL) League looks like a league designed for eight-division world boxing champion and Senator Manny Pacquiao.

It’s not surprising the head coach of the Kia Picanto is very much interested on pursuing this newly formed league which will serve as a sanctuary for players trying to find a league outside of the PBA, the D-League and other commercial leagues.

“It depends on him,” Eric Pineda, Kia’s representative to the PBA Board, told BusinessWorld. “But we’re still talking to him to stay in the PBA as our head coach. But at the end of the day, it’s his call. We know he’s the type of guy who loves to do many things.”

Kia ended its Governors’ Cup campaign winless after 11 games and there’s no sign whether the team could persuade Mr. Pacquiao from staying with the team. His contract ended just recently, making him free of his obligations from the squad and giving him a chance to focus on the MPBL.

Last week, PBA Commissioner Chito Narvasa said he had asked Kia management about the plans on Mr. Pacquiao and the possible conflict it might create if ever he will push thru with his plans of staging the MPBL.

According to Mr. Pineda, the MPBL is not a pro league, which means it’s not a direct competitor of the PBA, but sources said that there are PBA players, particularly those who don’t have a team in the pro league, to jump ship to the new league as it provides competitive offer. —