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Manny Pacquiao makes professional basketball debut

Romeo Ranoco / Reuters

WBO Welterweight champion Manny Pacquiao is set to defend his title in just a month, but his focus was on another achievement this weekend.

On Sunday, Pacquiao made his professional basketball debut, playing seven minutes for KIA Sorento of the Philippine Basketball Association. Pacquiao, who is also the team's head coach, was selected 11th overall in the 2014 draft by the Sorentos, a newly-formed team in their inaugural season.

Why spend a top draft pick on a 35-year-old with no experience? Well for one, he's the coach. And listen to the crowd react to him:

It's unclear how much the 5-foot-6 Pacquiao plans to play over the course of the season, but he confirmed Sunday that he'll now sit out until after his Nov. 22 title defense against Chris Algieri.

Pacquiao finished with no points and two turnovers, giving him the same debut box score line as undersized dunk champion Fred Jones back in 2002. There may not be a dunk title in Pacquiao's future, but the NBA All-Star Celebrity Game seems a relative certainty, health-permitting.

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