Errol Spence Jr. is an ideal boxer. He follows the fundamentals and sticks true to the spirit. Thanks to his deep understanding of the basics, he has notched 28 wins without dropping a game. 22 of those have been knockouts. He holds three titles from the major boxing leagues. His match-up against Terence Crawford is of course garnering a lot of attention. Most betting sites are predicting that the odds of the fights between Crawford and Spence favor Crawford. At around -150, Bud has the edge over the Truth.

Errol enters as an underdog here. When talking about the tag, for the scintillating personality, it is not Michael Jordan or LeBron James that is the biggest inspiration.

Errol Spence Jr. chooses Spurs legend over Michael Jordan for inspiration

Sitting down with SI, the boxing phenom discussed the underdog tag. He drew comparisons with the NBA to get his point home. SI asks when he was last an underdog. The unbeaten boxer revealed that it was against Kell Brook in a bout that took place in 2017.

Then the interviewer asks, ”Does it feel strange?” The phenom then has the following to say, “It’s motivation. I use everything like that as motivation. When people have me as the underdog or people saying he has more tools than me or he’s more versatile than me, all that sounds good, but I relate to it.”

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Then the brilliant athlete draws a comparison with the NBA. He continues, “Just like in basketball with the San Antonio Spurs. They’re not really that appealing. Younger guys would choose Kevin Garnett over Tim Duncan because Kevin Garnett is more flashy, and he’s more easy on the eyes, but the Spurs are more just getting the job done”.

Comparing himself with the great Spurs Forward, he goes on, “Duncan was called Mr. Fundamentals, and that’s what I am. I am fundamentally sound. I do everything by the book and I still look good.”

It means that the more KG-like Crawford will have to contend with the Tim Duncan of boxing.

Many NBA athletes will also keep a close look at this fight.

NBA players love boxing

A lot of NBA players engage in intense boxing sessions in the offseason. The quick-fire and energy-draining routine of boxing is a perfect way to train for the up-and-down NBA action. Recently, Anthony Davis went at it against pro boxer Jalen Walker. 

Despite not having hold of fundamentals like Spence Jr., he tried his best.

Apart from Davis, there are hundreds of examples of NBA players using boxing as their training regiment. Damian Lillard, a huge boxing buff, also takes up the gloves to bring in more intensity.

READ MORE: Making the Same Claim as Michael Jordan, 7x-NBA Champion Ignites NBA Twitter After Sidelining Shaquille O’Neal and Tim Duncan: “Cooked Him”

Is there any NBA player you’d love to see boxing? Do share in the comments below.

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