Pacquiao’s friend disputes Floyd-Manny confrontation during NBA meetup: ‘Sobrang bait ni Mayweather’

A close friend of Manny Pacquiao denied reports that the Filipino ring icon was confronted by pound-for-pound king Floyd Mayweather during their much talked-about meeting in an NBA game.

“‘Yung mga gumagawa dyan ng storya, that’s not true na inaway daw. That’s not true walang ganun,” Bernard Cloma, who was part of Pacquiao’s entourage when he visited Miami to judge Miss Universe this week, said in a radio interview.

Citing anonymous sources, Ben Thompson of fightyhpe.com earlier wrote that Mayweather told Pacquiao to “stop lying” as they met for the very first time at halftime of the game between the Milwaukee Bucks and the Miami Heat last Wednesday.

Mayweather was reportedly referring to Pacquiao’s claims about having already signed contracts about their much-anticipated megafight and just waiting for the American’s signature to finalize the bout.

Cloma was with Pacquiao and his wife Jinkee watching the game and posted on Instagram the encounter of the two boxing rivals.




Cloma also said that after the game Mayweather even went to Pacquiao’s hotel where they had a long conversation.

“Pumunta si Mayweather dito sa hotel ni Manny. Nagkuwentuhan sila nang matagal,” Cloma said, adding that Mayweather was courteous all throughout his meeting with Pacquiao.

“Sobrang bait niya. Hanga ako kay Mayweather, ang bait niya,” Cloma said. “Bakit siya pupunta sa hotel diba after ng kaninang game?”

Pacquiao and Mayweather are expected to announce this week if their megafight projected to set record-setting revenues will push through.

source: interaksyon.com

NBA stars LeBron, Dirk call for shorter season

CINCINNATI – Four-time NBA Most Valuable Player LeBron James and German NBA star Dirk Nowitzki say the league needs to look at shortening its 82-game per club regular-season schedule.

Both players spoke out this week in the wake of the league planning an exhibition game that lasts only 44 minutes instead of the usual 48.

James and Nowitzki say it’s the length of the season, not the games in it, that causes troubles, and they would both be willing to take less money.

“Less games is less concessions and less tickets and all that, but at the end of the day we want to protect the prize, and the prize is the players,” James said Wednesday. “If guys are being injured because there’s so many games, we can’t promote it at a high level.”

Indiana star Paul George will miss the upcoming season after breaking his leg in a scrimmage for the US team that went on to win the Basketball World Cup, while five-time NBA scoring champion Kevin Durant of Oklahoma City is out at least two months with a broken foot.

“I’m not saying it’s because of the amount of games, but anything will help,” James said of the physical stress on players.

James does not see trimming four minutes from every game as much help in that respect.

“The minutes don’t mean anything. We could play 50-minute games if we had to,” James said. “Once you go out and play on the floor it doesn’t matter if you’re playing 22 minutes or 40 minutes.

“Once you play it takes a toll on your body.”

With the NBA just inking a $24 billion television contract extension to broadcast more games, any cutback is unlikely in the near future.

“It’s something that obviously won’t change tomorrow or anytime soon,” James said. “But it’s something we should definitely talk about.”

James suggested 66 games, the number played during a lockout shortened campaign. But James would spread the load over the typical six-month time span to avoid playing such time-crunched schedules as three games in three nights as was done in the shortened season to allow for a full playoff program.

Dallas big man Nowitzki was a proponent of shortening the number of games in the NBA march to the playoffs as well.

“I think you don’t need 82 games to determine the best eight in each conference,” the German said. “That could be done a lot quicker, but I always understand that it’s about money, and every missed game means missed money for both parties, for the league, for the owners, for the players.

“I would say that (a number of games) in the mid-60s would be enough, which is still a lot of games.”

source: interaksyon.com

NBA 2K14 dribbles off shelves in October

MANILA, Philippines — NBA season is very much alive, as NBA 2K14 hits Philippine stores this October.

Fans of the classic basketball series expect the best, most innovative version of their favorite basketball series.

“It’s going to be bigger and better for 2K14,” says Ron Aquino, general manager of X-Play. “Fans will literally and figuratively be on their toes when they navigate through this exciting and definitely exhilarating game.”

How exactly is the latest version of the game different? “The physics of the game are better,” said Allen Amparo, product manager of X-Play Online Games, Inc. “One can almost mistake this version as a real NBA game going on TV, with the movement of the players being more fluid, and details being more visible including tattoos, jerseys, and textures, while watching the game. There are also changes with movement, upper body, and even on-air. Fans can also expect a new soundtrack.”

Cover athlete of this NBA 2K series is back-to-back NBA Champion and current King of Basketball, Lebron James. He is also the music curator of the game.

NBA 2K14 is available on PS3, Xbox 360, and PC. With the use of social network, one can link their personal gaming account to Facebook and Twitter, and join a whole community of gamers who can update each other on their results. The game is also in-synchronization with VITA and YouTube, where one can save a play.

NBA 2K14 is exclusively marketed by X-Play Online Games Inc., one of the country’s main video game distributors, together with game publishing leader 2K Sports, and is developed by Visual Concepts. Other games to launch locally from the brand include WWE in November.

source: interaksyon.com