MANILA, Philippines – Call it a “welcome to the PBA” moment.

San Miguel rookie Kyt Jimenez sustained a facial fracture as he made his keenly awaited PBA debut in a 93-83 win over Meralco in the Commissioner’s Cup on Sunday, November 19.

Jimenez suffered a swollen right eye and said he got diagnosed with a medial wall blowout fracture after an inadvertent hit from Cliff Hodge early in the 4th quarter.

He never returned and needed to be assisted as he left the Araneta Coliseum.

“Some say I looked like I fought boss Manny Pacquiao one on one,” Jimenez quipped on Facebook, referring to the Filipino boxing icon.

A former player for the Perpetual Altas in the NCAA, Jimenez made a name for himself as a social media personality, garnering nearly 450,000 followers combined on Facebook and YouTube.

He got drafted 76th overall by the Beermen and signed a two-year deal with the franchise.

Logging over 12 minutes against the Bolts, Jimenez finished with 2 points, 2 rebounds, and 2 steals, sinking a pair of free throws that gave San Miguel its biggest lead at 51-30 before Meralco clawed back in the second half.

Beermen head coach Jorge Gallent praised Jimenez for giving San Miguel a jolt.

“Unfortunately, he got hurt. But he did quality minutes. Kyt’s an energy guy. He’s good. He brings us energy,” said Gallent.

Jimenez joins a long list of hurt Beermen players, with Marcio Lassiter, Jeron Teng, Jericho Cruz, and Vic Manuel also injured. – Rappler.com