MANILA, Philippines – For a team that is so accustomed to losing, the selection of David and the hiring of Pingris as a big man’s coach are hopeful developments.  PBA royalty Marc Pingris is a nine-time champion and a 15-time All-Star.

It’s quite exciting to think that he might try to repeat some of his hardcourt heroics.

Marc, who is 41 years old and in good physical shape, seems physically prepared to take on the forces of gravity and time, two foes that have claimed the lives of many great athletes.

However, Jeff Cariaso, the head coach of Blackwater, dismissed the idea of Pingris going back to the location of his biggest victories as a player.

“It’s not official yet, but we’re hoping to work something out with Ping soon. We’re highly interested in bringing Ping to Blackwater as an assistant coach, primarily a coach for our bigs,” he says.

Coach Jeff texted me to say, “His experience alone will be of great value to our team and he’ll help improve the culture we’re instilling.”

You’re breaking my Friday bubble, man. However, picturing Pingris clutching a clipboard rather than a Molten ball and wearing a suit rather than shorts is a sight to behold. The PBA benefits from having legends watching from the stands.

But why would a recognizable brand like Marc Pingris associate itself with a blatant failure who previously had a staggering 29-game losing run in the league?

I’m told that Marc, a gifted entrepreneur, has more money than he can possibly imagine spending.

It’s not in the limelight either. Pingris had always been reserved and almost overly bashful. Even if he yearned for it, he could always choose a career in show business, where the paparazzi would be forced to press full-court.

Why Blackwater specifically?

The Jeffrey Cariaso effect, that is.

The Bossing appear to be in the midst of some type of renaissance phase where winning is now paramount since his elevation to the top coaching position last April.

Blackwater’s management reassured Cariaso that the team will preserve its No. 2 selection as a core element despite a history of dealing away their top assets.

Cariaso would make the ideal captain if the Bossing kept their word and turned the sinking ship around.

The 51-year-old former All-Star has already spent nearly ten years on the bench since his retirement in 2010. He is one of the best players in the PBA and has more rings than the Olympic emblem. Those credentials lend credibility right away.

The Cariaso-Blackwater collaboration might signal the start of a brand-new era for the franchise.

“I asked coach Jeff if he had any hesitations selecting the 6-foot-6, 225-pound Christian David at No. 2 given his past injuries—two ACL injuries, various sources told me.

Yes, we are fully aware of his prior injuries, but trust me when I say that we did our research before selecting Christian David as our No. 2 player.

Naturally, there were a few men that we considered, but in the end, we decided that David was the right candidate.

difficult to disagree.

David performed admirably in his past two seasons at Butler in the US NCAA while playing without any injuries.