IN the history of professional sports, father time is undefeated. There have been times though that athletes have dug deep within their reservoir of experience and intestinal fortitude to win.
Last July 20, Manny Pacquiao showed all of us once again that he can beat the best the welterweight division has to offer in Keith Thurman. He turned back the clock with great hand speed and footwork bamboozling and discombobulating Thurman from all angles.
From here on out it’ll be tough fights for Pacquiao whether it’s Terence ”Bud” Crawford or Errol Spence Jr. or Shawn Porter. In my opinion, I think he should fight Bud Crawford with the winner facing the victor of the Porter-Spence tussle on September 28.
July 20 was also the 50th anniversary when man first walked on the moon. It’s probably what Pacquiao felt after beating Thurman, the feeling of walking on the moon. One small step for Pacquiao, one giant leap for gracefully aging professional athletes.
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JEREMY LIN thinks the National Basketball Association (NBA) has ”given up on him,” according to cnn.com.
Jeremy Lin, who became the first Asian-American player to win an NBA title while playing for the Toronto Raptors last season, says he is struggling as a free agent.
“Every year it gets harder,” the 30-year-old said during an emotional interview at an event in Taiwan. “There’s a saying, and it says, once you hit rock bottom, the only way is up, but rock bottom just seems to keep getting more and more rock bottom for me.”
He continued: “So, free agency has been tough. Because I feel like, in some ways, the NBA has kind of given up on me.” I’m not a professional athlete but I see the sacrifices they make and the workouts they do to continue performing at a high level.
To sustain the hard work and motivation to perform in front of a national and world audience wears them out, that is why they use the off-season to rest, relax and decompress both physically and mentally.
I expected Jeremy Lin to be more mentally tough than this especially that he just won an NBA title. A lot of players will be more than happy to trade places with him just to win a ring. I don’t think the league hasn’t given up on Jeremy Lin, I don’t think basketball has given up on him.
He has a standing offer from European basketball powerhouse CSKA Moscow. He should take the offer. Maybe a change of basketball environment might do him and his game some good. He can assert himself more both offensively and defensively in Europe, which will increase his market value as a player.