PBA legend Marc Pingris will be coming out of retirement to play for the Nueva Ecija Rice Vanguards in the upcoming 2021 Chooks-to-Go Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League Invitational Cup.
The nine-time PBA champion and many-time Gilas Pilipinas star announced back in May that he was hanging up his sneakers after a colorful 17-year career. However, the basketball itch proved to be too tough not to scratch as he now finds himself preparing to do battle in the tournament set for Dec. 11 to 23.
The Rice Vanguards are expected to lean heavily on Pingris as they look to recover from losing the likes of the Gomez de Liaño brothers, and Gab Banal during the offseason. Both Gomez de Liaño brothers are now playing in Japan’s B.League while Banal was recently signed to a two-year deal by the TNT Tropang Giga.