Manila, Philippines (The Adobo Chronicles) – This might sound crazier than Linsanity, but world boxing champion Manny Pacquiao has his eyes set on playing against American Jeremy Lin.  Not in a boxing bout, but in professional basketball.  Lin is an NBA player for the Houston Rockets who rose to fame in 2012 after unexpectedly leading a winning streak by his team at that time, the New York Knicks.

It was announced in Manila today that the Filipino boxer — the only eight-division world champion — will be coaching and playing professional basketball starting the next PBA session, the local equivalent of the NBA. Pacquiao will be playing for a new PBA team, Columbian Autocar Corporation, owner of the KIA franchise in the Philippines.  The new team will be named after the Korean car manufacturer.  Pacquiao, as part of the deal, will also become the new image model of KIA vehicles in the Philippines and the rest of Asia.

“I like to challenge icons and famous personalities,” Pacquiao told reporters in Tagalog, adding that his ultimate goal is to come face to face on the basketball court with Lin, whether in the NBA or the PBA. “People think of Linsanity when thinking of the baketball player,” Pacquiao said. “I want to give more teeth to my label as Pacman.”

When asked to elaborate, Pacquiao who is also a congressman  said the greedy video game icon is known to gobble anything and everything it encounters. “Just like me,” he said, “I want to go after everyone that may stand in the way of bringing me fame and fortune — in boxing, politics, in kaoaoke bars, and yes, in basketball.”

Filipinos of course know that “Pacquiao” in the local vernacular means wholesale or buying in bulk. It could also very well refer to being a jack of all trades.