MANNY PACQUIAO made his much-awaited Philippine Basketball Association debut last Sunday with KIA Motors, which, incidentally, made a triumphant entry by coming from behind to rip fellow newcomer Blackwater Elite.

The novelty of the world’s only eight-division champion playing in the PBA got the fans clapping in the early goings. But soon enough, when the knowledgable Filipino basketball fans realized what was going on, they knew that Pacquiao doesn’t belong on the basketball court.

In the professional level at least.

Let me just make myself clear, this corner is not a Pacquiao hater. It’s just that my sincere love for the game of basketball is getting the better of me every time talk shifts to Pacquiao playing in the PBA.

I just feel that he is in the league for the wrong reasons, and that if KIA wants him to be there, he shouldn’t be occupying the head coach’s position and that he shouldn’t be denying a legitimate basketball player the chance to play in the PBA.

I love Pacquiao the boxer but, sorry to say, I pity Pacquiao the pro basketball player.

There were close to 53,000 fans during the opening of the 40th PBA Season at the Philippine Arena in Bocaue, Bulacan and it cannot be denied that a lot of them wanted to see how the Sarangani Congressman was going to fare against the very best players in the land.

It was a no-contest right from the get-go. The veritable no-contest.

It was clear that Pacquiao’s cat-quick reflexes inside the boxing ring wasn’t suited for the game of basketball, most especially, the PBA level of basketball.

Paul Artadi, the Blackwater starting guard who was his first defensive assignment, was whizzing past him in executing plays for the Elite, and Pacquiao, on offense, couldn’t shake him off. He didn’t even come close.

Here’s one big reason why I think Pacquiao should leave basketball to career basketball players:

Being the playing coach and knowing his love for playing in front of thousands of people, Pacquiao elected to start himself and played for almost the first seven minutes.

KIA trailed for the whole of the first half, no thanks to Pacquiao being a dead weight on both ends. He also had two successive turnovers that led to a mini Blackwater run that had the Elite leading by as large as 13 before the first half ended.

Pacquiao starting kept another true basketball player on the bench for more time than what was necessary. And that man eventually gave the Sorento the boost they needed to pound out the victory coming from the backdoor.

LA Revilla, the former ace La Salle guard in the UAAP, thus became the third point guard off the bench because Pacquiao played. Good thing that the young lad didn’t lose interest in playing in that game, because when he was on the floor, he made it all happen for the Sorento.

Revilla, who is lighter than Pacquiao and stands just two inches taller, scored a career-high 23 points and ignited the Sorento’s mammoth rally.

That game will be remembered for Revilla winning it for the Sorento and for Pacquiao almost making a fool of himself in those seven forgettable minutes.

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Pacquiao had an excuse for playing so poorly, saying that he wasn’t focused enough because of his upcoming fight with Chris Algieri for the Filipino boxing icon’s WBO welterweight championship in Macau.

The 5-foot-6 Pacquiao also said that he knows he’ll come around, because “sanay naman ako maglaro sa probinsya (I’m used to playing basketball in the province).”

That to me is an insult on the league and the PBA players, because Pacquiao thinks he can just come in and jump into the PBA with his experience in playing in the province as his only basketball credential.

Don’t get me wrong, but there are a lot of players who come from areas most of us have never heard before. Players like June Mar Fajardo, who came from a small fishing town in Cebu, and Ramon Fernandez, a four-time MVP who came from Maasin in Leyte, just to name two.

But those players who come from the provinces who eventually make it to the PBA have spent most of their lives perfecting their games; eating, breathing and talking nothing but basketball all their lives.

If Pacquiao thinks he can play in the PBA, then he really doesn’t know the difference between his feared left hook and Kareem Adbul-Jabbar’s lethal skyhook.

And those stints int he provinces that Pacquiao is talking about is with his team MP, which plays in a number of leagues in the South.

I have it from very reliable sources that Pacquiao makes a ton of baskets when he plays there, especially during practices with the team because no teammate dares to stop their very own team owner when he is going for a shot.

And that report is not alien to some of the PBA stars that Arab News was able to talk to before the lavish opening ceremonies last Sunday. And all of them swear that Pacquiao will not get the same treatment in the PBA.

One point guard from a very popular team was actually very vocal about it, and was shaking his head a lot while he was talking.

“It’s a pity, because as a boxer, I consider him our national hero,” said that player, who is also just about Revilla’s size but definitely a lot, lot better all around. “And as a national hero, you need to do everything to protect your image because you represent the country’s image.

“What does he think, that he can get away with what he was doing with his team now that he’s here in the PBA?” the player continued. “Mababastos lang ng ibang player iyan, because this is our job, and we will do everything to protect our job.”