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The Bust
De la Hoya Gets Statue, Pacquiao Gets Shirt
The Golden Boy Oscar De La is now bronze and the pound-4-pound king Manny Pacquiao branded. A 14-foot bronze statue of De La was unveiled last Dec. 1 in front of the Staples Center in Downtown. Meanwhile, not to be left short, this Saturday, Nike will unveil a special Pacquiao t-shirt to commemorate his match against the Golden Boy. "Wow. I think I’m going to have to grow my hair a little longer," joked De La about the likeness of the statue. "We believe this man has already earned iconic status in our community," said Tim Leiweke, chairman of AEG, which owns and operates Staples Center. "We at Staples Center and LA Live are very proud to be able to go to work everyday [and] very proud of the 20 million people who will go through this campus everyday to honor who we consider one of the greatest leaders, entertainers and certainly one of the best boxers ever from this community." De La Hoya was almost in tears when he took the microphone. He spoke about how much the statue means to him but most importantly to the young kids who share his background. "Never in my wildest dream did I ever imagine standing here and having my own statue next to the great Wayne Gretzky and Magic Johnson," said De La Hoya. "Kids are going to see that [statue] and say ‘wow Oscar De La Hoya from East LA made it. He made it through a lot of hard work, with a lot of dedication and never giving up. Maybe one day I’ll have my own statue.’ That’s what this represents. All the kids that are going to walk, all the people going to the Staples Center it’s going to mean something special."
Nike Pacquiao Shirts
In anticipation of the biggest bout in Pacquiao’s career, Nike, a Pacquiao sponsor, will honor the Filipino icon with a commemorative t-shirt to unveil this Saturday. The t-shirt will only be available at the Nike Store At The Montalbán in Hollywood. "Manny is a Nike athlete whose presence resonates around the world, particularly in Los Angeles," said Tanya Lopez, a Nike media relations manager. "In creating an exclusive shirt for him, we wanted to offer our support and appreciation for him, as well as the Filipino community in LA." "Manny Pacquiao has achieved great heights as an athlete and has been catapulted as an icon into the international boxing scene," added Mae Dichupa, Nike Philippines Country Marketing Manager. "Nike is in full support of what could probably be the greatest fight of his life this December." Portions of the T-shirt will go to Search to Involve Pilipino Americans (SIPA) Temple Gateway Youth Sports League on behalf of Nike’s Let Me Play program. SIPA Youth Activities Coordinator Ernie Tamayo said they are expecting a lot of Filipinos to come out for this Saturday’s event. "This isn’t just about Nike or Pacquiao but for the community as a whole," said Tamayo. "There’s a unifying aspect of this match. We want families to come and just have a great time. It’s a place to dialogue, see old friends, and support their national fighter." The event at the Nike store at the Montalbán will run from 12 pm to 5pm. As the Manny Pacquiao fan headquarters the Montalbán will also have Pacquiao’s fight night gear on display, feature a DJ, and offer a free Pacquiao giveaway for the first 50 attendees, according to Nike officials.
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