Boxing icon Floyd Mayweather Jr. made headlines after engaging in a fiery altercation with Boomer, the Indiana Pacers’ mascot. The situation happened during an NBA tournament held in Las Vegas.
Mayweather was watching LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers win the tournament. He engaged in a verbal dispute with Boomer following a foul call against the Pacers. Spectators were bewildered as Mayweather appeared to argue with the mascot, whose words likely got muffled beneath the imposing mask.
The rift initiated when the Pacers’ mascot gestured towards Mayweather, sparking a heated exchange between the two. Mayweather has been a familiar face at NBA games post his boxing career. He has notably participated in exhibition matches against John Gotti III, former British TV personality Aaron Chalmers, and Deji Olatunji – KSI’s younger sibling.
Some made a joke after seeing the American boxing icon get into a dispute with the mascot. A fan humorously quipped, “Floyd Mayweather vs Boomer the Mascot coming soon.”
Another hinted at the mascot becoming his potential exhibition opponent. Despite the exchange, Mayweather displayed contentment witnessing LeBron James add another award to his illustrious 23-season NBA career.
James is a four-time NBA champion and clinched his fifth trophy through the newly introduced In-Season Tournament this season. The Lakers emerged victorious against the Pacers with a convincing 123-109 win in Las Vegas, securing a $500,000 prize for each player on the roster.
James was spotted celebrating as if he had won the championship, which drew some criticism online. When asked about the need for celebration, James stated: “Because my youngers over here, my rookies, my second-year guys, some of them haven’t experienced playoff basketball, some of their pay cheques aren’t as equipped as some of the older guys on our team.”
“Then some of our fans, during the December and January months, they kind of stall out a little bit. So I felt like it was my responsibility, my obligation to keep everybody engaged, including my teammates, including our fans, for our beautiful sport, so that’s why I was locked in from day one.”