Manny Pacquiao V.S. Floyd Mayweather Jr.

In the recent years, Pacquiao (51W-3L-2D) and Mayweather (41W-0L-0D) have been considered as two of the best pound-for-pound boxers in the world. But the question is, who is the better boxer between them? And this question can only be answered by a boxing match featuring these two boxers.

A Pacquiao v.s. Mayweather match is the number one item in every boxing fan’s wishlist today. All boxing aficionados have been rooting to see Pacquiao and Mayweather battle each other inside the boxing ring. But until today, this dream match between Pacquiao and Mayweather is still a dream people wish to come true.

Both camps of Pacquiao and Mayweather have tried to negotiate with each other to set up a match made in heaven for these two great boxers. Unfortunately, there are things that their camps cannot settle.

First is the financial thing. Mayweather wants to have a bigger money share over Pacquiao. But Pacquiao's camp believes that both boxers are in the same level, therefore they must have a 50-50 share on the earnings of the match. This thing has been the biggest problem both camps encountered when they first tried to talk with each other. But after few weeks of continous negotiation, both camps have agreed to have a 55-45 (I'm not sure with this figure. Kindly correct me if this is wrong.) share in favor of Mayweather. Fans were so excited when they heard this news. The dream match between Pacquiao and Mayweather is one step closer to reality.

But this excitement didn't last long as the camps of Pacquiao and Mayweather have encountered another disagreement. Mayweather requested for the match to have an Olympics standard drug test. This kind of drug test will examine the urine and blood of the athlete before and after the fight. Pacquiao didn't agree with this proposal. According to his camp, Pacquiao freaks out when his blood is being taken and it makes him feel very weak. It is ok for them to have a blood test after the fight. But a blood test one day before the fight, never...

When this news came out, fans felt very upset. They can't believe that a simple blood test will hinder the development of this dream match.

Some people say that Pacquiao uses performance enhancement drug that's why he didn't want to undergo a drug/blood test before the fight. While some are saying that Mayweather is just harassing Pacquiao.

No matter what the truth is, it's still a sad news for boxing fans. Until now, fans are still hopeful that someday this dream match will came true.

As a Filipino, I really want to see how Pacquiao's speedy-hard punches will fair against Mayweather's excellent defense. I believe that, Pacquiao is the only boxer that can beat Mayweather today. According to Juan Manuel Marquez, a Mexican boxer who fought against Pacquiao and Mayweather, Pacquiao's punches are harder and stronger than those of Mayweather's. This statement of Marquez made me more excited about the possible match up of Pacquiao and Mayweather. I'm really hoping that this match will happen soon!

Why Jordan is still the best NBA player ever...

"You cannot win a basketball game alone, unless you are Michael Jordan"
- Darvin Ham (Ex-NBA player)

"By acclamation, Michael Jordan is the greatest basketball player of all time"
- NBA

Kobe or Jordan?... After Kobe won his 5th NBA title just last week, the debate on "who is the best NBA player ever" was resurrected. Fans of Kobe are claiming that Bryant had already surpassed Jordan as the greatest basketball player of all time. This statement had raised the eyebrows of many basketball fans. They don't think that Kobe is great enough to dethrone His Airness, Michael Jordan. Kobe Bryant is really an exceptional player. His ability to create and make shot is superb. He has also been a great defender and passer this past years. Kobe is maybe the best basketball player today. But all time? I don't think so.

Jordan is just an unbelievable player. There are a lot of things that separates Jordan from other players. These are the things that made him the greatest of all time. So let's discuss about this stuffs...

Monster Statistics!

As they say, numbers don't lie. Michael Jordan has whopping career averages of 30.1 pts/game, 6.2 rebs/game, 5.3 asts/game, 2.35 stls/game, 0.8 blks/game, 49.7 FG%, 32.7 3pt FG%, 83.5 FT%. His stat line is really unbelievable. Aside from scoring a lot of points per game (he is the no.1 all time in scoring average), he can also pass the ball, grab rebounds, and play defense. Jordan is an all around player. He is excellent at both ends of the court.

Michael Jordan also has 6 NBA championship rings, 5 Season MVP awards, 6 Finals MVP, 1 time DPOY, 14 all star games, 10x NBA 1st team, 9x NBA defensive 1st team, 2 slamdunk titles, 2 Olympics gold medals.

Does his jaw dropping numbers are already enough to be coined as the best? Maybe not. This is just one aspect of his game. In fact, there are players who had almost the same stats as him. Like LeBron James' career averages; 27.8ppg, 7rpg, 7apg, 1.7spg, 0.9bpg. Anti-Jordans are also arguing that he only got those averages because there are no player before that can play defense to him. They are saying that if Jordan played today, he may not be able to put up those stats. Therefore, they believe that Jordan don't deserve the title (greatest basketball player of all time) given to him.

Miraculous Buzzer Beaters

Throughout his (Michael Jordan) 14 seasons in the NBA, Jordan has been able to beat a lot of teams with his heroic game winning shots. Many basketball geeks are saying; "Jordan is the only player whom you can create a top 10 buzzer beaters clip ". One of the most popular game winning shot that he made was against the Utah Jazz in Game 6 of the 1998 NBA Finals. This historical shot gave him and the Chicago Bulls their 6th NBA title.

So he is a great clutch player. Is this the main reason why he is the greatest of all time? Hmm... maybe. I think his ability to make shots in the dying seconds of the game is one of the more popular reasons why he was considered as the best. But shooting buzzer beaters are not enough to be dubbed as the greatest of all time. Because there are also a lot of NBA players who can sink game winning shots.

Great combination of talent and skill

MJ is one heck of a talent. High leaping ability, excellent midrange shooting touch, tons of confidence and aggressiveness, sick crossover moves, awesome fade away jumper and a great nose for the ball. His inborn talent combined with hard work made him an unstoppable player. He learned how to use those talent to become successful in the pro league. Aside from winning games, his talent also entertains the crowd. With his high leaping ability, he is able to dunk the ball from the free-throw line. And the crowd loves it.

We can fairly say that his talent and skill level are the reasons why he was tagged as the greatest of all time. There are only few elite players who have the same level of talent as Jordan has. But, I think there is one more reason why he is the greatest of all time.

If he's incredible stats, buzzer beating shots and tremendous talent are not the main reason why he was dubbed as the greatest of all time, then what is the main reason?

Based on my analysis and observations, the ultimate reason why Jordan is still the best NBA, or should we say basketball player ever, is because...

He Came First

If you will analyze the statements above, you will realize that there are players who are equally great as Jordan. They can produce monster stats like MJ, shoot buzzer beaters, and they also possesses great individual skills and talents. But what separates Jordan, is that he was the first player to revolutionized NBA and the basketball game itself. He was the first NBA superstar who can play outstanding offense and excellent defense. Before Jordan, NBA superstars are either great offensive players or tremendous defensive players. None of them was able to play excellent offense and defense at the same time like what Jordan did.

Jordan was the first NBA guard who can block shots in consistent basis. He was the first player to hit those high flying fade away jumpers. And the first player to promote that dunking is a fun thing to do.

Today, there are NBA superstars who could also play excellent offense and defense like MJ does. They are LeBron James, Dwayne Wade and Kobe Bryant. But they still cannot dethrone MJ as the greatest player of all time. Because there is nothing special about them. People already saw Jordan doing those crazy stuffs that they are doing today. People only enjoyed watching them because they remember Jordan with those players. Fans were delighted to watch again those great moves that Jordan already did before.

Until they can show something incredibly new in the league, maybe that's the only time they can beat Jordan as the greatest player of all time.

If you would ask me who could be the next MJ, I will pick LeBron. He has the same talent and skill level of Jordan. And with his unbelievable physical attributes, he could revolutionize the game like what Jordan did. He is the first NBA player who can play almost all of the positions. From point guard, to power forward. He is a massive, wide bodied 6'8" guy who has strength of a center, and speed of a point guard. If he can win some championship rings, then he may be able to beat Jordan as the greatest basketball player of all time.

2010 NBA Finals Review

At last! After 7 grueling games, the Los Angeles Lakers emerged as the 2010 NBA Champions! Winning their 16th title.

It was a hard fought series. Neither teams turned away from the challenge. But there can only be one team that will be crowned as the champion. And this time, it was the Lakers. Back to back wins for their back to back championships.

Phil Jackson continued his streak of winning a playoff series after winning the first game. On the other hand, the Celtics' streak on protecting a 3-2 series lead and beating the Lakers in every Game7 of finals was finally stopped.

So let's take a look back on what happened in every game of the series.

Game1 (LAL 102 - BOS 89): Bryant played like a real MVP

First game of the finals, first blood for the reigning champs.

Game1 was a very physical game. In just 27 seconds of play, Peirce and Artest got entangled with each other and looked like they want a royal rumble! This scenario garnered them double technical fouls.

The whole game was rough and harsh. But the Lakers was able to survive, as they showed more energy and hustle than the Celtics. Lakers made Boston looked like a very old team.

Aside from extra energy that the Lakers displayed, they also shoot the ball better than the Celtics especially on the 3pt area. The Celtics struggled to shoot from outside converting only 1 basket out of 10 attempts, as compared to Lakers' 4-out of- 10 3pt shooting.

The Lakers also dominated the boards. Outrebounding the Celtics, 42 to 31.

The main highlight of the game was Kobe's great all around play. Scored 30pts, grabbed 7 rebounds, dished out 6assists, also with one block and one steal. Bryant also got help from Gasol. Pau had 23pts and 14rebs on Game1.

Best Player: Kobe Bryant - 30pts 7rebs 6asts

Game2 (LAL 94 - BOS 103): Ray Allen was smoking hot from outside

Allen for three! Allen for three!. . . (Repeat up to 8 times)

The Lakers might want to wish that a basketball game don't have a first half, as Ray Allen exploded for 27pts in the 1st half alone. He also shot seven 3-pointers in the 1st half, tying the finals record for most 3-pointers made in a finals game (Kenny Smith and Scottie Pippen are the two other players able to do this feat..).

In the 3rd quarter, Allen made another 3-pointer to set a new finals record with his 8th 3-pt shot made. But it was his last made 3-pointer as the defense tightened up on him.

Allen finished the game with 32pts 3rebs and 2asts.

Aside from Allen, the Celtics also got a big lift from Rajon Rondo. He had a triple-double game with 19pts 12rebs and 10asts. It was a badly needed help for the Celtics as Pierce and Garnett both struggled.

The Celtics were able to bounce back after an awful shooting Game1. And they were the first team to beat the Lakers at home in this year's playoffs. The Lakers were 9-0 at home before Game2.

Best Player: Ray Allen - 32pts 3rebs 2asts

Game3 (LAL 91 - BOS 84): Fisher spoiled Celtics' homecoming

The Fisher caught another big fish!

Beat L.A.! Beat L.A.! The crowd of TD garden was so loud and proud especially on the first few minutes of the game. The Celtics started the game with a 12-5 lead along with a couple of nice alley hoop plays from Rondo to Garnett.

But not for long, as the Lakers started to play excellent at both ends of the court, while the Celtics keep on building bricks. After a scintillating Game2, Allen struggled in this game missing all his 13 shot attempts. It was only Garnett who had a fine shooting night for the Celtics.

After a slow start, the Lakers were able to build a 17pt lead, 37-20, midway through the first half. But in the 2nd half, the Celtics were able to caught up and made the game more exciting.

It was a neck-to-neck battle in the 4th quarter until Fisher exploded! Fisher scored consecutive baskets near the end of the quarter to give Lakers some breathing room. He is crushing the defense of the Celtics. Driving to the basket and making difficult shots.

Fisher's late game heroic was too much for the Celtics. And it helped the Lakers escape with a victory. Leaving Celtics' fans silent and disappointed.

Best Player: Derek Fisher - 16pts 3rebs 1ast

Game4 (LAL 89 - BOS 96): Big Baby Davis, baby no more...

Shrek (Glen Davis) and Donkey (Nate Robinson) to the rescue for Celtics!

Game4 was a very tight fight until the end. Once again, the Lakers played excellent game on Celtics' home court but this time, they failed to get the win.

It was the Celtics' bench who pound the Lakers in the 4th quarter. Specially Davis and Robinson. Their duo made a combined score of 30pts.

With Bynum out of the court, Glen Davis dominated the paint. Scoring bunches of layup, grabbing rebounds and just a great defensive presence inside.

Meanwhile, aside from scoring 13pts off the bench, Robinson helped the Celtics to win by injecting tremendous amount of energy to the Celtics’ players and fans.

It was a hard earned victory for the Celtics. But it was a very important win since they were able to prevent a 3-1 series deficit. Instead, they were able to tie the series at 2-2.

Best Player: Glen Davis - 18pts 5rebs 2stls

Game5 (LAL 86 - BOS 92): The Truth was finally revealed

Celtics, saving the best for last.

Game5, last NBA game on TD garden for the season, and the Celtics make sure that it would be a memorable one. They beat the Lakers for the second straight game and took a 3-2 series lead. One win shy for their 18th NBA title.

After four games of waiting, at last, "The Truth" Paul Pierce has finally exploded. Pierce scored 27pts had a shootout contest against Bryant in the 3rd quarter of the game.

During the 3rd quarter, Bryant scored 19pts for the Lakers who don't have another threat to help Bryant against the rampaging Celtics. At the other end of the court, Pierce contributed 11pts for the Celtics.

Bryant was the only Lakers starter to have a good game. The lost was really attributed to the lack of help that Bryant got from his teammates.

The Celtics also shot the ball very well. Converting 56% of their attempts. This is the reason why they won the game despite of committing 16 turnovers.

Best Player: Paul Pierce - 27pts 2rebs 2asts

Game6 (LAL 89 - BOS 67): Job well done for Bryant and company

Ahh... Home sweet home...

After a disastrous Game5 performance, Bryant's supporting cast came up with a huge game on their home court for the Game6 of the 2010 NBA Finals.

Game5 was a one-man show for Kobe after scoring 38pts while the rest of the team only able to put up 48pts. Game6 was a different story. Kobe got a lot of help from his teammates especially Ron Artest, who finally got rid of his shooting slump.

Artest scored 15pts, thanks to his hot start, scoring a couple of 3-pointers during the 1st quarter. Vujacic was also a surprise contributor scoring 9pts after averaging just 2pts for the series.

With a lot of help coming from his teammates, Bryant and the rest of the Lakers was able to massacre the whole Celtics. Limiting the Celtics to only 67pts, the 2nd lowest output in a finals game, next only to Utah's 54pt performance in the 1998 finals. The Lakers also able to built the biggest lead for the series, a 22pt margin when the scores are 49-27 in the 2nd quarter. Lakers also outrebounded the Celtics, 52 to 39.

Game6 was a nightmare for Boston. Aside from blowing out the game, they also lost their starting center Kendrick Perkins with a strained knee.

Best Player: Kobe Bryant - 26pts 11rebs 3asts

Game7 (LAL 83 - BOS 79): Back-to-Back wins equals Back-to-Back championship

Defense wins championship. . .

Game7 is an ugly game in terms of offense. Both teams only scored combine points of 162. One of the lowest in NBA Finals history.

Although it’s a low scoring ball game, the excitement was never absent. Tough defense were showed by both teams. Incredible blocks from both ends, swift steals, emphatic rebounds and just tremendous hustle by all the players.

In the early part of the game, it was the Celtics controlling the game. Limiting Gasol and Bryant to only 18.75% fieldgoal shooting in the first half. Despite of horrible shooting by the Lakers, the Celtics were only up by 5pts in the half. The main reason was Artests' fine shooting in the first half.

It was Artest who keep the Lakers afloat despite of their woes. He scored well, defended Pierce excellently and he's overall hustle. He even hit the most important 3-pointer of the game. He assumed the scoring responsibility for the Lakers since Kobe and Pau struggled in the first three quarters.

Without Perkins on the lineup, the Celtics had a hard time rebounding the ball. They were dominated by the overwhelming length advantage of the Lakers. Shorthanded at all, Celtics were still able to give Lakers a good hard fought game.

Best Player: Ron Artest - 20pts 5rebs 1ast