Ted Cruz challenged 2020 Democratic candidate Andrew Yang to a 4-on-4 charity basketball game

The challenge came after Yang posted a video of himself 'warming up' for the Democrat debates in Houston, Texas by shooting some hoops

Cruz said he would play Yang if he reached 5 per cent in polls, which the candidate proved he had already done

Yang wanted to play 1-on-1, but Cruz said he didn't think it would be a fair match

The two said their teams would be in touch to set up the game

In 2018, Cruz took on comedian Jimmy Kimmel in a 1-on-1 game for charity

The Texas senator won 11-9, and Kimmel had to donate $5,000 to Cruz's charity choice

Yang will take the stage with the nine other Democrats who qualified for the third round of primary debates

Ted Cruz challenged Andrew Yang to a basketball game as the 2020 Democratic candidate prepares take stage for the third round of primary debates in Houston, Texas Thursday night.

It all started Monday, when Yang posted a video to Twitter of him playing basketball, claiming he was 'warming up' for the debate where he will face nine other Democratic candidates.

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After ABC News posted a feature of Yang 'loosening up' by shooting some hoops, a Fox News producer suggested a basketball face-off between Cruz, who resides in Houston and represents Texas in the U.S. Senate, and Yang.

Cruz, 48, taunted Yang, 44, – a political outsider and former long-shot candidate who has steadily risen in polls and fundraising to join the second tier of the 20 Democratic primary contenders.

'Sorry,' Cruz, who came in second in the 2016 Republican primaries with almost half the amount of votes as Donald Trump, tweeted. 'You gotta poll at 5% or more to play on my court.'

Andrew Yang, a 2020 Democratic candidate, posted a video of him 'warming up' for the Houston debates by shooting some hoops

After a Fox News producer suggested Yang take on Senator Ted Cruz in a basketball game, Cruz, who played basketball in high school, said he would only play Yang if he reached 5 per cent in the polls

Yang responded with a poll this month where he earned 5 per cent support among Democrat and independent voters

Cruz said he would play Yang, but suggested a 4-on-4 game

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Yang wanted to take on the senator from Texas solo to 'give the fans a show'

Cruz conceded he didn't feel he could take on Yang by himself after watching the video of him play and dunk on an 8-foot hoop

The morning of the debate, Yang responded that his team would reach out to coordinate a charity game

Yang shot back with an image of a recent Hill/HarrisX poll where he earned 5 per cent, beating out South Bend, Indiana Mayor Pete Buttigieg, who usually falls within the top five candidates in national polls.

'Ted I would be delighted to beat you in basketball,' Yang tweeted alongside the image of the poll and a smiley face and basketball emoji.

'Bring it,' Cruz challenged. '4 on 4, you plus three of your paid staffers vs me and three of my paid staffers (no outside ringers). Say, this Friday afternoon in Houston? The loser gives $5k to the (non-political) charity of the winner's choice? Game?'

The game, theoretically, could come to fruition as Yang is on Cruz's home turf preparing to participate in the Democrat debates Thursday night.

'Let's play one-on-one. Give the fans a show.,' Yang suggested, not backing down.

Even though Cruz played basketball in high school and has a history of winning charity basketball games, he conceded he didn't feel he could beat the tech entrepreneur by himself.

'Hmm. You're taller than I am. From the video, you're probably a better shot. And, I've seen you dunking (on an 8-foot rim),' Cruz listed in a tweet Thursday morning. 'Altogether, pretty strong. So.......'

He then included a gif of Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson captioned: 'Just bring it.'

In the midst of the Twitter back and forth, Yang posted an image of him dunking a basketball in an 8-foot-high hoop, band retweeted the last post from Cruz on the morning of debate day.

'Fantastic,' he responded. 'My team will reach out. Let's raise some money for good causes. Looking forward to it.'

In the midst of the back-and-forth, Yang posted a video of himself dunking a basketball on an 8-foot net

This isn't the first time Cruz publicly challenged someone to a basketball game to benefit charity.

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Last year, late-night comedian Jimmy Kimmel poked fun at Cruz, comparing him to a blobfish. Cruz responded by challenging him to a one-on-one charity basketball game.

'All right, Big Guy. You talk a good game,' Cruz tweeted to Kimmel on May 30, 2018. 'You besmirched my support for the @HoustonRockets. So let's settle this man-to-man: one-on-one, hoops (or 'ring-ball,' if you prefer). The loser gives $5k to the (non-political) charity of the winner's choice.'

Kimmel, who was 50 at the time, said he was game, and called it the Blobfish Basketball Classic.

The two played at Texas Southern University in June 2018. Cruz emerged as the victor with a score of 11-9 – each basket counting as a single point. The game was originally set to go to the first who reached 15 points, but was cut short because it ran long.

In 2018, Cruz played a one-on-one charity basketball game against comedian Jimmy Kimmel – who is outspoken about politics on his late-night show

Cruz won 11-9, and Kimmel had to donate $5,000 to a a charity Cruz chose, which was Generation One, an organization that works to end poverty in Houston, where Cruz resides

By losing, Kimmel had to donate $5,000 to a charity of Cruz's choosing, which was Generation One, which works to end poverty in Houston. All other funds raised in the game were donated to Kimmel's choice charity, Texas Children's Hospital.

If the game between Yang and Cruz were to go down, it doesn't appear it will be on the same day as the debates.

Yang, along with the nine other candidates who qualified for the debates, had to amass 130,000 unique donors with at least 400 from 20 different states and earn 2 per cent in four Democratic National Committee-approved national polls.

The candidate previewed on his Twitter that his campaign has 'got something big in store' for Thursday night.

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'Two words for the debate stage tomorrow night: Gold chain,' he tweeted Wednesday as a hint to the surprise.