Golden State Warriors | The Adobo Chronicles

Manny Pacquiao in practice session with the Golden State Warrior in San Francisco last year — Manny Pacquiao in practice session with the Golden State Warriors in San Francisco last year

SAN FRANCISCO, California (The Adobo Chronicles) – For the first time in 40 years, the Golden State Warriors are headed to the NBA finals, after defeating the Houston Rockets, 104-90, at last night’s Western Conference Championship series.

The California team faces the Cleveland Cavaliers in a best-of-7 series finals starting June 4 at Golden State’s Oracle Arena.

The Warriors took the occasion of their victory to announce that Manny Pacquiao will be drafted in the fall, ending months of speculation about the champion Filipino boxer joining the California NBA team.

Pacquiao was seen in practice sessions with the Warriors late last year in San Francisco.

Pacquiao, aside from being a boxer and elected congressman in the Philippines, is a playing coach of the Kia Carnival, a professional team in the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA).

Sources close to Pacquiao said that the Filipino boxer has done a lot of soul searching after his welterweight loss to Floyd Mayweather, and is now open to retiring from boxing. Pacquiao is also eyeing the presidency of the Philippines, but at age 36, is disqualified from running as a candidate in 2016.

The Warriors said that they could have drafted Pacquiao earlier but his recent surgery due to a shoulder injury has prevented the boxer from the team’s training sessions.

Pacquiao is turning out to be a man for all seasons and all major sports.

Pacquiao in his Golden State Warriors jersey.

Oakland, California (The Adobo Chronicles) – Something unprecedented happened to Filipino world boxing champion Manny Pacquiao during his visit this week to California.

Many people know that the Philippine congressman’s second love and passion next to boxing is basketball. Just recently, he was appointed as playing coach for the KIA Sorentos, the newest professional team to join the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA), the Filipino counterpart of the U.S. National Basketball Association (NBA).

Today, the Golden State Warriors announced that it has drafted Pacquiao to join its NBA team. The Warriors are based in Oakland, California. They are part of the Pacific Division of the NBA’s Western Conference.

The Warriors were very impressed with Pacquiao’s basketball skills during an impromptu practice game he had with the American team at the Oracle Arena in Oakland. The rest is history. Pacquiao left the arena with a signed three-year contract with the Warriors.

“It’s a dream come true,” Pacquiao told reporters in his native Tagalog. “I will show the Warriors that they did not make a mistake in picking me.”

As a result of his new contract, Pacquiao said he is stepping down as playing coach of the KIA Sorentos so that he can focus on the NBA. That is, in addition to his boxing career and his duties as an elected legislator.