MANNY PACQUIAO returned as a hero of the nation on Wednesday night in the PBA, the basketball fans at the packed Ynares Sports Center in Antipolo applauding him right from the time when he made his way into the court.

The league paid him a tribute by giving him a basketball at midcourt, in recognition of his demolition of American Chris Algieri in Macau just last Sunday and successfully defending his World Boxing Organization welterweight belt at the Cotai Arena.

It was a boxing clinic that Pacquiao gave out in the Algieri fight, and what’s most impressive was that the Pacman said that he rated his performance against the tall American kickboxer as just a “7 out of 10.”

Pacquiao will win more boxing matches in his career and the entire world just can’t wait to see a fight with Floyd Mayweather happening so that they can give an answer to the question as to who the best pound for pound fighter in the globe is.

Pacquiao was right at home in that ring. He never seemed lost at any moment in that fight and never seemed to be in trouble.

That victory over Algieri was in the local news for three days straight, before it was drowned somewhat when Pacquiao announced that he will be rejoining his KIA Motors squad in a crucial match against defending champion Purefoods.

The setting was the Ynares Center, and thousands came to see the Star Hotshots play Pacquiao and the Sorento whose playoff hopes were hanging by a thread.

Purefoods, as expected, delivered the knockout punch that Pacquiao rarely receives in his boxing career, as the Sorento bowed out of further contention and made the form charts in the pre-season hold.

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But if there is one good way of bowing out from a tournament, then KIA pulled it out, losing, 88-77, but not after giving the star-studded Star Hotshots the scare of their lives.

Pacquiao was at his best in that game. No, he didn’t play despite being interviewed before tip-off saying that he will.

He was at his best giving his teammates the morale boost that they needed, the inspiration that wasn’t there in their last seven games and the crowd support only the veteran teams have.

Pacquiao did not start, nor did he even threaten to come into the game because the Sorento were in it the whole night, even leading the Hotshots by nine points late in the third quarter and playing their best game of the season.

Glenn Capacio called the shots with Pacquiao remaining standing in the sidelines to holler out plays and cheer his players.

It was a good sight to watch – the world’s best boxer cheering a lot of league unknowns to play their best.

That is what Pacquiao can give the PBA, the huge presence of a world-class athlete who can inspire people to rise above their limits and conquer.

That’s what Pacquiao’s life has been in boxing, from a humble ‘panadero’ in his youth to one of the richest and most recognizable athletes in the world.

And that’s what he should keep doing: leave the playing to the true basketball players.

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In a developing story on Thursday, Pido Jarencio of Globalport was formally relieved as head coach, ‘promoted’ to consultant by team owner Mikee Romero in the aftermath of an ugly 95-69 loss to San Miguel Beer last Tuesday.

That development has been in the rumor mills ever since Globalport’s very first game of the season, when the Batang Pier blew command in the fourth quarter to lose to the NLEX Road Warriors.

Eric Gonzales, an unknown in the league and one of Jarencio’s assistants, has been named replacement on an interim capacity as he tries to steer the Batang Pier to their very first Final Four appearance.

Gonzales will be the fourth coach in seven conferences for the Batang Pier, who started with Glenn Capacio in their maiden tournament in 2012 before replacing him with Junnel Baculi after just one conference.

Richie Ticzon then took over and coached also just one tournament before Jarencio was signed to a two-year contract starting last season’s Commissioner’s Cup.

That tells us that Romero wants to see results as quickly as possible, and Gonzales will be under pressure to deliver.

Jarencio did not actually turn the fortunes of the Batang Pier around in more than two conferences at the helm.

He won just a combined two games in his first two conferences and finished in the bottom both times.

And after nine games in the on-going Philippine Cup, Jarencio steered the squad to a 4-5 record, with that horrible loss to the Beermen proving to be the last straw that prompted Romero’s hand to make the switch.