Video: Manny Pacquiao Wants to Buy NBA Team After Retiring from Boxing
Boxing superstar Manny Pacquiao said he wants to become part of an NBA ownership group after his in-ring fighting career comes to an end.
Pacquiao told TMZ Sports in an interview released Saturday he's confident his experience as founder of the Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League (MPBL) in his native Philippines would translate well to running an NBA organization.
"I'm thinking about that," Pac-Man answered when asked about becoming a minority owner. "... I love basketball."
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Pacquiao, who's set to face Keith Thurman for the WBA Super World Welterweight title Saturday night at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas on Saturday night, said he still has a handful of years left in the boxing ring.
"I feel like young, like late 20s," the 40-year-old, eight-division world champion told TMZ, noting he hopes to fight until he's 45.
Celebrity Net Worth assessed his assets at $220 million, so he doesn't have the financial depth to acquire an NBA franchise on his own. Forbes listed the Memphis Grizzlies as the league's "cheapest" team at $1.2 billion in its 2019 rankings. Still, a minority stake is within reason.
Along with his sports endeavors, Pacquiao was also elected as a senator in the Philippines and serves as the chairman of the Senate Public Works Committee.
