Manny Pacquiao is widely regarded as one of the greatest boxers of all time. But his legacy as a combat sports legend aside, Pacquiao has other interests as well. In particular, The PacMan is a huge fan of the sport of basketball. His love for basketball is so intense that he even started his own basketball league. The Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League has been a great success in the Philippines and has attracted a lot of interest. Amidst all that interest, Pacquiao recently brought out his inner Michael Jordan as he dropped a 33-point triple-double during an executives-only All-Star Game.
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The Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League was originally founded in 2017. Starting off as a semi-professional league, Pacquiao, the league’s founder, made it clear that they had no intentions of challenging the Philippine Basketball Association. However, with the backing of perhaps the most famous Filipino ever, it has since risen through the ranks. Now, as of 2021, the league has achieved professional status and is sure to grow under Pacquiao’s guidance.
Manny Pacquiao emulates Michael Jordan as he drops a 33-point triple-double in his own basketball league
The MPBL recently held its very own All-Star Game. Featuring some of the executives from around the league, the game saw the North executives take on the South executives. Leading the line for the South, legendary boxer and founder of the league, Manny Pacquiao sent the North packing.
Wowing fans with an epic performance, Pacquiao ended the game with 33 points, 11 rebounds, and 15 assists. In addition to scoring an amazing triple-double, he also showcased his dominance outside the ring and on the hardwood floor.
At one point, he even did his best impressions of both Michael Jordan and Stephen Curry. Sticking his tongue out, he emulated MJ’s iconic habit while scoring basket after basket. But, that’s not all.
One of these baskets was even a deep three-pointer that he scored with an awkward-looking left-handed shot. Very Chef Curry-esque to say the least.
Admittedly, it was an incredible sight to behold. Pacquiao glided across the court embarrassing his opponents, similar to how he performed every time he fought. Hopefully, this is just the first of many incredible All-Star performances from the PacMan. Fans around the world both boxing and basketball alike would certainly love to see him perform again.
Pacquiao served as the inspiration for one of Kobe Bryant’s signature shoes
Manny Pacquiao is a superb athlete who has garnered the respect of many fellow athletes over the years. One person who was greatly inspired by Pacquiao was Kobe Bryant. The Black Mamba has always been a big fan of hard work and determination. So, when he attended Pacquiao’s training camp before the Juan Manuel Marquez fight, he was greatly impressed.
In fact, upon watching the Filipino boxer train he was inspired by his quick movements and high-cut boxing shoes. So much so, that he wondered if he could achieve the same level of quickness with such shoes. This led to the creation of the Kobe Elite 9, an unorthodox basketball shoe inspired by the only eight-division world champion.
This just goes to show how sports are interconnected. It doesn’t matter what kind of sport you’re playing, there’s always something you can take away from others. Just as Kobe Bean Bryant got some interesting information just from watching Pacquiao train.
