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Manila Bulletin devider Sports devider Basketball devider Manny Pacquiao congratulates NBA No. 2 pick Jalen Green

Manny Pacquiao congratulates NBA No. 2 pick Jalen Green

Published Jul 30, 2021 01:38 pm

Senator Manny Pacquiao, left, lets Jalen Green hold the WBC welterweight title belt in their recent meeting in the US. (Manny Pacquiao Instagram)

Filipino boxing legend Manny Pacquiao expressed his excitement on social media following the selection of Filipino-American basketball player Jalen Green as the No. 2 overall pick of the Houston Rockets in the 2021 NBA Rookie Draft Thursday (Friday, July 30 in Manila).

“Congratulations to Jalen Green on getting drafted #2 overall,” said Pacquiao, a Philippine senator, in an Instagram caption as he posted a photo with Green, the 19-year-old baller from Merced, California.

“Looking forward to watching your journey to becoming a superstar,” added Pacquiao, who recently met Green weeks after his arrival in the US to promote his fight against Errol Spence Jr.

The 42-year-old Pacquiao, a Philippine senator and reigning WBC welterweight champion, is set to face the unbeaten IBF titlist Spence on Aug. 21 – August 22 in the Philippines – at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.

As for Green, he is set to join the Rockets that already have young talents like Christian Wood and Kenyon Martin Jr., as well as veteran guard John Wall under coach Stephen Silas.

READ: Pistons select teen guard Cunningham first in NBA Draft

Green, whose mother Bree Puruganan hails from Ilocos Norte, has recently acknowledged his roots here in the Philippines and representing the Filipinos as a basketball player.

“I know for myself how big that is and how much I’m representing the Philippines,” Green said.

The 6-foot-6 Green first visited the country in 2018 as part of the Fil-Am Sports USA team in a NBTC tournament. He returned the following year with the same squad as they played top high school teams, including the Ateneo Blue Eaglets with then star player in 7-footer Kai Sotto.

As a senior at Prolific Prep in Napa, California, Green led the team to a 31-3 record and the Grind Session World title while averaging 31.5 points, 7.5 rebounds and 5.0 assists per game.

Instead of playing college ball, Green took a different route towards the NBA as he opted to turn pro when he signed with the new Ignite team of the NBA G League team, which gathered the top NBA draft prospects that included Jonathan Kuminga, the No. 7 pick of the Cleveland Cavaliers in the NBA Rookie Draft.

Green led Ignite by averaging 17.9 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 2.8 assists in their initial season (15 games), and had a season-best of 30 points on 11-of-20 shooting, with seven assists, five rebounds and three steals in a quarterfinal setback to the Raptors 905.

Related Tags

Jalen Green SENATOR Ignite G-League Kenyon Martin Jr. WBC Welterweight Champion NBA Rookie Draft Errol Spence Jr. Christian Wood Philippines nba kai sotto Houston Rockets Manny Pacquiao Stephen Silas
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