By Homer D. Sayson PhilBoxing.com Thu, 17 Dec 2020
CHICAGO -- As he prepares for the 2020-21 NBA season, superstar Derrick Rose, a three-time All-Star and the 2011 league MVP, took time today to greet his friend -- Senator Manny Pacquiao --- a happy birthday.
"What's up Manny. I wanna wish you a happy 42nd birthday. Stay blessed, good luck in your fight and I can't wait to see you soon," said Rose in a video message sent courtesy of Bernard Condeavaux, the senior director for medical and performance for the Detroit Pistons, the team that D-Rose now hoops for.
It's no secret that both celebrity athletes are a fan of each other's works.
Rose watched all of Pacquiao's epic battles in the past on pay-per-view while Manny used to glue himself to the TV set back when D-Rose was running with the Chicago Bulls. They have since swapped signed items.
Manny, boxing's only eight-division champion and the former No.1 pound-for-pound fighter. invited and provided tickets for Rose to attend the Pacquiao-Broner fight last January 2019.
After all these years and even as their continued pursuit of athletic excellence leaves little time to bond, it is apparent that this friendship is here to last.
