Watching the best basketball players do their thing in Phoenix this weekend inspired me to look at some of the other greats in sports. Watcing Dwight Howard and Shaq beast through defenders just reminded me of how Giants’ Brandon Jacobs plows through defensive backs. I couldn’t help but think Isiah Thomas and BJ Penn whevener I see Chris Paul’s leadership qualities and tenacity on the court. Truly last weekend, you couldn’t find a better place to be at if you’re a basketball fan than be part of the NBA All-Star game festivities.
Little of you may know that I am also a boxing and mixed martial arts columnist. Covering fight sports provides a different type of rush; from the build-up to a big fight, the anticipation of seeing two of the best fighters collide in the ring and the awe-inspiring performances by fighters who would just put it all on the line just to come out the victor at the end of the day.
I have been around and witnessed the best athletes in both sports, and from my experience, there’s no greater thrill than to see the best players, the best teams and the best fighters go at it at the top of their game. Think Ali vs. Frazier; Celtics vs. Lakers; Bird vs. Magic; Nogueira vs. Emelianenko.
As far as this era’s biggest match-up, nothing comes close to Kobe Bryant vs. LeBron James. Nothing else really need be said. Watching these two go at it and the excitement they generate everytime they square off reminded me of the same energy fight fans were buzzing with when Manny Pacquiao and Oscar De la Hoya fought each other in 2008’s biggest and most watch fight. That bout was dubbed the “Dream Match” and any hoops fan will tell you, seeing Kobe and LeBron do battle in the NBA Finals would be their dream match.
The real dream match among fight fans nowadays however is a match-up between former pound-for-pound champion Floyd Mayweather Jr. and current champ and considered the world best Manny Pacquiao. If you are not familiar with either of them as this isn’t really a boxing column, this is where I conveniently pull back my Kobe vs. LBJ reference. Comparing Mayweather Jr. and Pacquiao is just like trying to compare Kobe against LeBron. The world is pretty much split on who is better and chances are if they’d go at it 100 times, netiher would really convicingly get a big margin of wins, but as fans, all you want is to see them go at it.
Kobe to me is more like Mayweather Jr. They’re both more seasoned in terms of craft. Their tecniques and savvy are second to nobody else in their respective sport. LeBron would be Pacquiao. Both being phenominally athletic to a point you’d think they are simply freaks of nature. A 6’9 forward isn’t supposed to be that quick or that strong like LeBron; then again a boxer who started boxing at 109 pounds isn’t supposed to punch like a heavyweight while still being blindingly-quick and knock out career 154 pound legends in the ring like Pacquiao. With all that said, I wouldn’t mind seeing both dream matches come to fruition this year. Give me Kobe vs. LeBron in the NBA Finals and Pacquiao vs. Mayweather before the year ends.
On a diferent note, I have been around Danny Granger since he was drafted by the Pacers in 2005. I’ve seen him progress and mature as a person and a player throughout the years coming in a situation wherein he had to fit in on a team favored to go to the NBA Finals to being it’s go-to-guy after the fallout of the brawl and the whole Ron Artest saga. In a similar way, I was able to follow the career of Manny Pacquiao back when he was still a kid trying to make a name for himself in the boxing world. The reason I pointed both things out is because of the striking similarities I have noticed between both men in terms of their demeanor, humility and work ethic. Granger did not become an All-Star by accident. He busts his butt in pracitice and then some just so he can diversify, expand and improve his game. Everytime I’m in a Pacers game ever since, I would always see Granger shoot around longer than the rest of his teammates, or work out with a trainer kinda like how Reggie Miller used to do it. Pacquiao on the other hand trains like nobody else in boxing. I have not seen anybody literally go at it as if he’s trying to kill himself everytime he trains.
Pacquiao said “when you train hard, the fight is easy.”
More more importantly, both men are religous and humble gentlemen. It’s amazing to me really how both are so calm and well-mannered outside the court and the ring but once the fight bell is signalled or the jump ball is tossed, both transform into fierce competitors. In a sporting world dominated by self-promoting athletes and marketing geared towards “cool” it’s really refreshing and nice to see that there are still athletes like Pacquiao and Granger who do their talking when they’re walking.
