Manny Machado Loves NBA Stars Using Padres Celebration, Explains Origin
The NBA and MLB worlds have always been a lot closer than fans actually think. Despite the two obviously competing to get more fans, viewership, and marketing, there is a mutual respect with both being two of the biggest professional sports leagues in the world.
Our own Juan Soto is a regular attendee of NBA games whenever the Padres are not in season and even at a collegiate level, SDSU March Madness games were streamed at Petco Park before the Friars hit the field.
However, a certain rising superstar named Mikal Bridges has taken it a step further recently as he has paved the way for a celebration started by the Padres to blow up all over social media. It is quite simple as he just points three fingers at his bench and rocks his head to the side after he drills a three-pointer.
Bridges has already paid his respects to San Diego for giving him the idea to start using it but it hasn't stopped with him. We've seen other NBA superstars such as Karl-Anthony Towns and Julius Randle partake in the trend as well.
Even the youngest of athletes have caught on at the grade school level.
We have now finally received word from Manny Machado himself on the growing popularity of his own move and he could not be happier.
I freaking love it," said Machado. "It's special to see the Padres are on the map. Even seeing other athletes giving us their support, that's pretty special, man. We've got a good thing going." (Via MLB.com)
Machado went on to finally tell the backstory behind why he and the Friars started doing it in the first place.
"Wherever they were, someone was playing music. Haddaway's "What Is Love" came on. Like Will Ferrell and Chris Kattan in "Night at the Roxbury," a player or two started bobbing their heads."
"That'd be a great double celebration," Martinez recalled someone saying. (He can't remember who.)"
(Via MLB.com)
We sure hope to see the Padres hitting this celebration many more times this season.
