Just like a certain Laker, luck seems to be on Pacquiao’s side

Late Friday night at the Staples Center the Los Angeles Lakers seemed to be up against it, trailing the scrappy Dwayne Wade led Miami Heat by four points with less than ten seconds to play. Miraculously things would take a turn for the better when point guard Derrick Fisher would drain one of his patented threes and Wade would end up missing a free throw on the other end moments later, giving the Lakers one last opportunity at victory. With 3.2 seconds left to play and trailing by two points the Lakers still had a chance and little did we know something amazing was right around the corner.

Taking the ball inbounds from Ron Artest, the Laker’s start player Kobe Bryant would drive to his left as he fought to create distance from himself and Wade. Falling backwards, Bryant would heave up a desperation three that would somehow bounce directly off of the backboard and through the rim, giving the Lakers a 108-107 win. The crowd at the Staples Center in Los Angeles went ballistic as one of this season’s most notable NBA comebacks had just been completed.

Afterwards Bryant was extremely modest when assessing his late game actions to the press, shying away from anything boastful and instead conceding that luck was on his side. After the game Wade would approach the Lakers’ locker room where Bryant would simply look him in the eye, shrug his shoulders and state ‘Hey, What’d you want me to do?’.

Such is the way of sports. Great athletes always come through with great heroics but sometimes it all boils down to a little bit of luck. Maybe that’s why the champions always seem to have it on their side, because they find a way to work so tirelessly that they are able to capitalize on it exactly when it’s needed. Like the old saying goes, sometimes ‘Luck favors the prepared’.

When bouncing from one sport to the next, there seems to be no other superstar athlete in the world of boxing with as much luck as Manny Pacquiao. Over the years Pacquiao has produced some thrilling ring performances but none of it could have been done without good fortune being on his side.

To get a deeper sense of everything, all one has to do is look back on Pacquiao’s humble upbringing in Bukidon, Mindanao, where he sold cigarettes and worked at a bakery just to scrape up money to support his family. For Pacquiao to find a way to break the mold and rise up from those harsh upbringings and capture his first world title at the age of 20 is truly inspirational in itself but much more was needed to make his story complete.

Pacquiao would make the transition to American in 2001 when he would relocate to Los Angeles temporarily to find a new way of life and training within the sport. While searching the West Coast, Pacquiao was reportedly given the cold shoulder by many trainers as he simply didn’t fit the mold of the stereotypical athlete they were after. Pacquiao was all but ready to pack his bags and head back home to Manila when he came across a chance encounter with Freddie Roach at the Wild Card Boxing Club in Los Angeles and the rest is history. Roach’s first fight with Pacquiao would see The Filipino whirlwind dispose of IBF champion Lehlohonolo Ledwaba in six rounds and the start to a great run was made.

Over the years Pacquiao has produced some dramatics in the ring that have been eye opening and inspirational and even he will concede that surely some type of fate has had to be on his side. He was lucky enough to simply be in the right place at the right time, especially in regards to all of his elite level opposition. While Erik Morales and Marco Antonio Barrera were busy making history with their epic encounters, Pacquiao would join the mix shortly thereafter and find a way to eventually defeat both men twice.

Juan Manuel Marquez was also in the neighborhood around the same time and served as Pacquiao’s most respected nemesis in recent years. The two men engaged in two wild, give and take affairs. The first was deemed a draw while Pacquiao narrowly escaped the second contest with a split decision victory which was based on, as luck would have it, the strength of a third round knockdown that proved to be the difference in the March 2008 encounter.

As Pacquiao’s career has risen to new heights over the past year he couldn’t have done it without having a seemingly perfect list of noteworthy opponents stacked in front of him. From former boxing franchise Oscar De La Hoya, England’s wildly popular Ricky Hatton, and Puerto Rican battle tested and fan adored Miguel Cotto, Pacquiao has had the exact type of men in front of him that have ended up creating the kind of excitement that only comes from a world class event. In an era where some fighters are ducking one another and others are doing anything they can to land a fight to no avail, Pacquiao has seemed to have the stars aligned for him and his next destination seems to be the hotly discussed and proposed March 13th bout against Floyd Mayweather Jr.

A Pacquiao-Mayweather fight is one that everyone on the block is dying to see happen. Rumors initially spread that both men have agreed to terms on the bout but many insiders still have an uneasy feeling that come March we won’t be getting the match we desperately desire. Some say that Mayweather really doesn’t have the intention of meeting Pacquiao, as rumors have surfaced that he is trying to make certain negotiating angles difficult.

It is a very rare time in Pacquiao’s life, as he is on the verge of the biggest fight of his career, but at the same time dealing with the reality that certain proximities may derail the contest. If Pacquiao can take any advice perhaps he should look to Bryant's late game heroics earlier tonight out West. With his back to the wall the perennial superstar dealt as best he could with the elements around him in the waning seconds as he heaved his miracle shot and somehow lead the Lakers to victory. Pacquiao should take note and follow his lead. With some much drama going on all the General Santos city resident can do is put his best foot forward and let the chips fall where they may, with the deepest hopes that things between him and Mayweather end up working out. Who knows, at the end of the day all it may take is a little bit of luck.

To watch Kobe Bryan't late game heroics against the Miami Heat, please check out the video below...



Chris Robinson is a freelance writer based out of Las Vegas, Nevada. He can be reached at Trimond@aol.com and www.FaceBook.com/CRHarmony. More of his work can be found HERE and his coverage of a potential Pacquiao-Mayweather fight can be found below…



To Read why Floyd Sr. think Pacquiao is making a mistake, click HERE


To read what Shane Mosley has to say about Pacquiao vs. Mayweather, click HERE

To read about Floyd Mayweather agreeing to terms on the fight, click HERE

To read about the possibility of Pacquiao fighting Yuri Foreman, click HERE

To read Roger Mayweather's thoughts on a Pacquiao-Mayweather clash, click HERE

To read about Pacquiao and the Philippines, click HERE

To read about Jeff Mayweather's assessment of a Pacquiao-Mayweather fight, click HERE

To read about the buzz on Pacquiao vs. Mayweather, click HERE

To read and insider's perspective on Bob Arum, click HERE

To hear Paulie Malignaggi's thoughts on Manny Pacquiao, click HERE

To read about veteran boxing scribe Michael Marley's weekend in Vegas, click HERE

For Pacquiao-Cotto: The story in Pictures, click HERE

To hear what Manny and Coach Roach had to say about the fight, please click HERE

To Read more about Manny Pacquiao's victory over Miguel Cotto, please click HERE

To Hear about Bob Arum speaking on Mayweather vs. Pacquiao, click HERE

To Read about the atmosphere inside the MGM please click HERE