SPORTS SHORTS 246: MANNY PACQUIAO VS. FLOYD MAYWEATHER IN BASKETBALL
By Maloney L. Samaco
PhilBoxing.com
Mon, 25 Oct 2021
Boxing archrivals Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather Jr. are set to face each other again, but not on the boxing ring. They may clash on the basketball court.
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The "Mayweather Vs Pacquiao All-Star Basketball Charity" is scheduled to happen in December in Las Vegas. The special basketball show will be commanded by the promotional outfits owned by the two boxing legends: TMT (The Money Team) and Mayweather Promotions and MP Promotions.
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Both Pacquiao and Mayweather are basketball aficionados. In fact, on January 27, 2015, Mayweather and Pacquiao finally met each other face to face for the first time during an NBA game between the Miami Heat and Milwaukee Bucks at the FTX Arena in Miami.
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Pacquiao said they exchanged phone numbers and would communicate with each other. This led to the showing of the WBA (Unified), WBC, WBO and The Ring welterweight unification title confrontation four months later in what turned out to be as the richest boxing match in history.
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Mayweather won the so-called ‘Fight of the Century’ with a unanimous decision over Pacquiao. Two judges scored it 116–112 and the other 118–110 all for the undefeated American.
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The fight generated some $400 million in gross revenue, including announced ticket sales totaling $72,198,500, which would surpass Super Bowl XLIX, the biggest event in football.
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Basketball enthusiast Floyd Mayweather Jr and former basketball professional player Manny Pacquiao are planning to host a charity event. To invigorate the basketball exhibition game, the 10-member teams are allowed to field two former NBA players each.
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A letter of intent was published and it was signed by both Pacquiao and Mayweather. The letterhead printed Mayweather’s TMT and Mayweather Promotions and Pacquiao’s MP Promotions. It stated the creation of "working groups" to start the planning and subsequent execution of the charity event.
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“We agree on the main concept of the event, which is to bring total entertainment to the fans of boxing, basketball, and all sports in general, and to create a project that will solidify our legacies to the fans,” stated the letter of intent. “We also aim to generate funds for our chosen charities in time for Christmas.”
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Pacquiao, who formally announced his retirement from boxing, filed his candidacy for the presidency in next year’s national elections. He wants to use the proceeds to continue helping the poor and the needy in the country.
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The event is set to happen before Pacquiao’s birthday on December 17 with the MGM Grand as the most probable venue due to its value and significance in the careers of both legends. Pacquiao and Mayweather also fought their "Fight of the Century" in the said place.
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Pacquiao joined the Philippine Basketball Association as the playing coach of Kia Motors Basketball team, that time an expansion team for the PBA 2014–15 season. He was picked 11th overall in the first round of the 2014 PBA draft becoming the oldest rookie to be ever drafted in the pro league's history.
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Pacquiao played basketball as part of his cross training before his ring bouts. Before his PBA run, Pacquiao was named an honorary member of the Boston Celtics.
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Just before one of Pacquiao’s fight on June 28, 2008, after the Celtics were crowned NBA champs for the 11th time, many of the Celtics players gathered in Las Vegas to watch his fight against David Diaz at the Mandalay Events Center.
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Pacquiao won his fourth world title that night in front of the Boston Celtics which was a dream come true for the boxer. “Before I fought and after the Celtics won at the NBA finals, I was hoping that I could invite the Celtics,” he said.
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“It so happened that they were in Las Vegas, so I invited them and they agreed to watch my fight. I was so happy my idols watched my fight.”
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On Wednesday, March 10, 2010, Pacquiao delivered several autographed boxing gloves to the Boston Celtics. When the team arrived the arena, the players received one glove each at their locker.
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“Pacquiao’s obviously a huge Celtics fan,” said Celtics coach Doc Rivers, who also got a glove. “He tried to get to our shootaround before we played the Lakers and he couldn’t make it. So instead he just sent that to us, and it’s nice. Good gesture.”
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That same season, the Boston Celtics gave Pacquiao a customized Boston Celtics jersey and named him an honorary member of the team.
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Pacquiao became friends with basketball Hall of Famers Kobe Bryant, Kevin Garnett, and Ray Allen and they even visited him during his trainings at Wild Card Gym and on dugouts during actual fights.
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On February 18, 2015, Pacquiao played briefly and scored one point when the Kia Sorento won 95–84 against Purefoods in the PBA. On October 25, 2015, Pacquiao made his first field goal in the PBA in a 108–94 defeat to the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters.
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On August 21, 2016, Pacquiao scored a career-high four points in a 97–88 win over the Blackwater Elite, and converting his first three-point goal in his career.
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In 2018, Pacquiao officially announced his retirement from the pro league after playing just ten games in three seasons and scoring less than fifteen total points. In 2019, he played one game for the Philippine Senate in a televised-amateur league and scored 12 points.
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He founded the Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League, a popular semi-professional basketball league and announced that he is planning to own an NBA team after his retirement from boxing.
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Floyd Mayweather Jr. played as one of the many participants on July 9, 2019 in the Monster Energy $50K Charity Challenge Celebrity Basketball Game. Mayweather went one-on-one with Larry 'Bone Collector' Williams, and was floored and had his "ankles broken," then laughed through the humiliation.
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The American retired from boxing undefeated but has long fancied himself as a basketball player.
Earlier that year he even compared himself to Dallas Mavericks guard Luka Doncic.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Maloney L. Samaco.
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