PBA legend Jimmy Alapag looks to pursue a coaching career in the NBA as he left the Philippines for good.

Alapag, together with his wife, actress LJ Moreno, and their children, Ian Maximus, Keona Skye, and Calen Asher, flew to Los Angeles, USA on Tuesday, September 15.

“He submitted his resumé to some NBA teams,” agent Charlie Dy told Rappler about Alapag.

Alapag already had a taste of coaching in the NBA, having been invited by the Sacramento Kings to join their Summer League coaching staff last year.

The 42-year-old serves as head coach for Alab Pilipinas in the ASEAN Basketball League, but Dy said the uncertainty brought by the coronavirus pandemic prompted Alapag and his family to move to the United States.

“Everything is not looking good with this pandemic so he chose to stay close to his parents and siblings,” said Dy.

Born in California to Filipino immigrants, Alapag started his basketball career in the Philippines in 2002 as he suited up for the national team in the Asian Games in Busan, South Korea.

Alapag landed with Talk ‘N Text as the 10th overall pick in the 2003 PBA Draft and helped the team clinch 6 titles during his 12-season tenure with the flagship franchise of the MVP group.

Traded to Meralco, he retired from the PBA in 2016 as a member of the 40 Greatest Players, an MVP, a two-time Finals MVP, a three-time Mythical First Team member, and the all-time leader in three-pointers made.

With Gilas Pilipinas, Alapag played a pivotal role in the Philippines’ return to the FIBA World Cup in 2014 after a 36-year absence.

In his foray into coaching, Alapag guided Alab Pilipinas to an ABL championship in 2018. – Rappler.com