Even though Los Angeles Lakers point guard Jeremy Lin has been sidelined from the basketball court due to a sports injury, he managed to pay Manny Pacquiao a visit before the upcoming fight with Floyd Mayweather next month.
According to Nissi Icasiano of Rappler, 26-year-old, 6-foot-3 Lin visited Freddie Roach's Wild Card Gym in Los Angeles to extend his support to the Filipino boxer. The 5-foot-7 Pacquiao shared a picture of the visit on Instagram on Tuesday.
"Thank you Jeremy Lin for coming to show your support," Pacquiao wrote. "Thank [you] for showing your love for the Lord and being a good example. God Bless!"
Icasiano reported that Lin was one of the few Asian-Americans in NBA history and the first American of Taiwanese descent to play in the basketball league. Pacquiao also has connections to basketball too; he served as a coach for the Kia Carnival in the Philippine Basketball Association, or PBA.
"The 36-year-old Filipino boxer was also seen using basketball scrimmages as part of his training to condition his body," Icasiano wrote.
However, in addition to playing basketball, both Pacquiao and Lin have publicly expressed their Christian faith.
"Pacquiao became a born-again Christian in 2012, which made him give up his vices and dedicate himself to Bible studies," Icasiano wrote. "Since embracing a newfound devotion to his faith, the Pinoy pugilist turned into a lay preacher and is very open about his Christian belief."
Lin is not the only NBA player to throw his support behind Pacquiao. According to Sean Wagner-McGough of CBS Sports, Stephen Curry and Karl Malone also stopped by at Pacquiao's training camp recently.
"Last month, Golden State Warriors point guard Stephen Curry sent Pacquiao an autographed jersey in addition to posing for a photo with two of Pacquiao's kids," Wagner-McGough wrote. "And last week, former NBA star Karl Malone made an appearance at Pacquiao's training camp."
CBS Sports reported that after Lin visited him at the gym, Pacquiao took a shot at his opponent's delayed arrival. He went on Twitter to have some light-hearted fun.
"I promise to not only arrive on time for my media day, but early to make [Fred Sternburg] pay [Freddie Roach] and me each a hamburger!" Pacquiao wrote.
Pacquiao then sent out a link on YouTube where viewers can live stream his workout at the Wild Card Boxing Gym. The link is expected to go live at 6 p.m. ET/3 p.m. PT today.
