Manny Pacquiao's Hoops Career Is Causing Suspensions and Confusion in PBA

The State of the Manny Pacquiao-Basketball Union is controversial and uncertain at best right now.

Having finally brokered the fight of the century with Floyd Mayweather Jr., the Philippine world champion boxer and Kia Carnival player-coach faces a decision: put his basketball endeavors on ice to train or attempt to do both as the most anticipated and profitable bout of his career dangles before him.

You would imagine the choice is simple, but this apparent dilemma has caused anger and confusion to ripple through the Philippines Basketball Association and sports media since the match's announcement.

The ruckus started with the release of former NBA player and Kentucky Wildcat Daniel Orton, who was fined by the PBA's Purefoods Star Hotshots team and bounced from the roster last week after dismissing the boxer's wish to play professional basketball as "a joke," per ESPN.com: "[Pacquiao playing] is a joke. Professional boxer? Yeah. Congressman? All right. But professional basketball player? Seriously? It's a joke."

Orton was fined $5,650 by the Hotshots and released. Purefoods administrator Rene Pardo defended the move, explaining Orton's comments against Pacquiao's basketball career were tantamount to mocking Martin Luther King Jr.

"Everyone is angry at [Orton]. It is like he went to the United States and insulted the name of Martin Luther King," Pardo told the Philippines media.

So we're clear, in Pardo's mind, saying a professional boxer isn't that good at basketball is the same as insulting a civil rights leader who was assassinated for his work.

Getty / AP

Further muddying the picture are conflicting reports about Pacquiao's plans for the immediate future.

MailOnline's Anthony Hay reported Wednesday morning that Pacquiao will suit up for a game on Saturday against Blackwater Elite before leaving the team to train for Mayweather—a claim that stands in stark contrast to sentiments relayed by one of Pacquiao's teammates in a different piece published Wednesday by TMZ.

In TMZ's report, Kia guard Karl Dehesa said, "He's definitely not going to play until after the Mayweather fight. He hasn't been around since they announced the fight...he's got a team of assistants that take over when he can't be in games or practice."

Dehesa appears mistaken, as GMA News reports that Pacquiao suited up Wednesday night (Philippine Time Zone) for Kia Carnival's game against Talk 'N Text (PBA teams have the best names). Kia Carnival won, and Pacquiao was able to show off his trademark breaststroke jumper.

In any case, no one appears to know for certain how Pacquiao will handle his responsibilities as player-coach and manage to train for Mayweather Jr., who has also been spending some time on his spot-up shooting in recent weeks.

Rest assured, no matter how this match pans out, when Mayweather-Pacquiao is over, the rivalry will simply slide over to the hardwood. 

Get ready for "Kia Carnival versus Floyd and the Money Team Monstars," coming to you live from Madison Square Garden, summer 2024. 

Dan is on Twitter. He remembers when boxing and basketball were the same thing.