MAD love for the sport brought the Pacquiao brothers, Jimuel and Michael, to join the spirited UAAP crowds of yellows and maroons on Sunday, at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
“We both really love basketball, whether it’s college, PBA, or NBA,” shared the elder sibling, Jimuel. “It’s only my second time watching the UAAP live, and it’s very intense because the fans are really supportive, they really push and encourage the players.”

As the 18-year-old De La Salle student finds himself following the footsteps of their father, Manny, in boxing, his younger brother Michael shared that he plays hoops more.
“It's my first time to watch live, but basketball has always been my sport. He [Jimuel] does boxing, while I do basketball,” the 17-year-old said. The younger Pacquiao is part of the basketball varsity of Brent International School Manila.
The two mentioned that they were there to support a few friends from the Diliman-based squad. They were, however, impressed with how the Growling Tigers stepped up their game.

Jimuel said: “Well, I know a few people from UP so I was rooting for them, but I can see na lumalaban talaga ‘yung UST so I am also rooting for them.” The elder Pacquiao added, “I’m friends with Kobe Paras, Ricci Rivero, and I’ve been supporting Ricci for a long time.”
The Espana-based squad crushed the UP, 89-69, to force another do-or-die game on Wednesday at the Mall of Asia Arena.

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