The 2023 FIBA World Cup is well underway now, and one of the surprises of the tournament so far has been the Dominican Republic. Led by star Minnesota Timberwolves center Karl-Anthony Towns, the Dominicans have won both of their first two games, beating the Philippines in their opener on Friday before dispatching Italy in their second contest on Sunday morning.

In both games, Towns has been the guy leading the Dominican Republic to victory. He had another big game against Italy on Sunday (24 PTS, 11 REB, 5 AST, 7/15 FGM), which has allowed the DR to advance to the second round of the tournament already. Towns already was having a great day, but he ended up getting to meet Philippine boxing legend Manny Pacquiao after leading his team to victory, which likely made things even better.

Pacquiao is widely regarded as one of the greatest boxers of all times, and with the Philippines playing host to a handful of games throughout the World Cup, he has been a prominent figure so far in the tournament. That included him meeting up with Karl-Anthony Towns after his big game against Italy, which was surely a cool moment for both guys.

With two games down, Towns and the Dominican Republic will turn their attention to their final group stage match against Angola, as they will have a chance to sweep their group on their way to the second round. Towns and the DR have already punched their ticket to the second round, but after meeting Pacquiao, you can bet Towns will be looking to put together an impressive performance in their final group stage match as he looks to impress his new friend.