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Dwight Howard has a lot of fans in the Philippines. Their love for him grew even further when he signed with Strong Group, a Philippines-based basketball team. Having recently traveled to the country to enjoy some Jolibees, Howard met the legendary Manny Pacquiao, and without any hesitation, the Orlando Magic legend challenged him to a three-point competition.

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22. That’s the number of three-pointers Dwight Howard made during his time in the NBA. While his shooting prowess was not looked at as one of his strengths in the NBA, it was different when he made his way overseas. In 2022, when he played in Taiwan for the Taoyuan Leopards, he found himself competing in a three-point contest.

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I was in a three-point contest. In Taiwan… Me vs. you in three-point. Who ya’ll got? Ya’ll think he gon beat me?… After Dubai, I’m coming back here, and I am going against you. Me and you, the real thrilla in Manila,” said the 3x DPOY to Pacquiao.

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Manny Pacquiao is the first boxer in history to win the championship in eight different weight classes. However, ‘Pacman’s basketball skills are nothing to be laughed at either. Apart from serving as a senator in the Philippines, the boxing legend has displayed his prowess on the hardwood too.

Manny Pacquiao’s unconventional double-handed three-point shots were on full display during a celebrity game. And as history reminds us, it is not safe to bet against short celebrities in a three-point competition against a below-average NBA shooter.

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Fans are ready for Dwight Howard vs. Manny Pacquiao

As the Dubai games are later this month, the two still have time before getting on the court. However, the fans were excited to see the interaction between these two greats.

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As one of the competitors is a professional basketball player, it didn’t take long for one user to comment, “You obviously.” However, some fans were just excited to see the two in the same room. One person said, “Broooo 2 legends that’s crazy,” and another added, “love seeing dwight get the recognition and respect he deserves.

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But this didn’t stop the Filipino people from being loyal to Pacquiao, as many were in favor of him winning the match. One fan said, “Manny, for sure is gonna win. He got that textbook shooting form even better than Klay,” while another said, “As much as I respect an NBA player like Dwight, I still think Manny can match his 3“.

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Although Howard has spent years in the NBA training his skills in basketball, according to one fan, “Sorry @dwighthoward , you challenging the Reggie Miller of the Philippines 🇵🇭.

Who do you think will win this legendary showdown? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!

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Written by

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Rijin Varghese

687 Articles

Rijin is an NBA writer at EssentiallySports. Specializing in the technical aspects of the game, keeps a close eye on the three principles of coaching of Gregg Popovich: Humility, Discipline, and Determination. That same attention to detail made him a big fan of the reigning Finals MVP Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets. While Rijin did not follow the traditional route to become a journalist, his passion for basketball and writing brought him to ES.

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Aakash Nair

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