Marc Pingris comes out of retirement to join Nueva Ecija in MPBL

Former Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) player Marc Pingris is entering a new chapter of his life.

Pingris, who announced his retirement from the PBA last May, will now join the Nueva Ecija Rice Vanguards in the Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League (MPBL).

In a tweet on Wednesday, Nueva Ecija head coach Charles Tiu shared a photo of him with Pingris with the caption, "The comeback. Welcome Marc Pingris!"

In a message to GMA News Online on Thursday, Tiu confirmed that Pingris will play for his team.

"I think it was a no-brainer for us to get a chance to have him on our team. I still think he can play," Tiu said.

The Rice Vanguards tactician said Pingris' leadership will also be good for the team.

"Obviously, [we] have to manage expectations because he hasn't played in two years, but once he gets into shape, he will be good for us," he added.

Pingris missed the PBA bubble in Pampanga back in 2020 due to a calf injury.

The Nueva Ecija Rice Vanguards, who is owned by Palayan City mayor Rianne Cuevas, is among the 22 teams that will join the MPBL invitational tournament slated to tip off on December 11. — LA, GMA News