10 December 2023 , 19:39
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Boxing legend Floyd Mayweather Jr. was spotted in a heated exchange with the Indiana Pacers mascot Boomer during an NBA tournament.
Mayweather, who was in Las Vegas to witness LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers win the tournament, was seen arguing with Boomer after complaining about a foul given to the Pacers. Fans were left puzzled as Mayweather argued with the mascot, who likely couldn't be heard under his large mask.
The spat started when the Pacers mascot began gesturing towards Mayweather, leading to a back-and-forth between the two. Mayweather, a regular at NBA games since retiring from boxing, has fought John Gotti III, former British TV star Aaron Chalmers, and YouTuber Deji Olatunji - KSI's younger brother - in exhibition bouts which have been much maligned by boxing fans.
The American boxing legend has been largely unchallenged in those bouts, with some making the same joke after seeing him have the altercation with the mascot. One fan wrote: " Floyd Mayweather vs Boomer the Mascot coming soon," while another said: "His next opponent for exhibition fight." Mayweather looked pleased to see James add more silverware to his incredible NBA career - now in his 23rd season.
The four-time NBA champion added a fifth trophy to his resume by way of the new In-Season Tournament, which was introduced this season. The Lakers beat the Pacers 123-109 in Las Vegas, with every player on the roster winning $500,000 in prize money.
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While it won't rank among his greatest achievements, James was seen celebrating like he'd won the championship - drawing some criticism online. When asked why he felt the need to celebrate, he replied: "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."