BILLY Mamaril built a reputation as one of the toughest PBA players during his time, letting everyone, especially young guns, know who owns the paint.
But there were some players Billy couldn’t bully.
Asked on SPIN Zoom In which players were hardly intimidated by him, the retired 42-year-old big man was hesitant to pick from today’s players, who apparently bow down to him.
So Mamaril, a 2009 All-Defensive Team member, rattled off three contemporaries who made the shaded lane their personal playground.
“Yung mga ibang enforcer din ngayon na nakasabayan ko na naglalaro pa, sinasabi nila, ‘enforcer na kinda dirty maglaro.’ Sabi ko, ‘hindi, ang bait-bait nga nun.’ Kasi namimili din naman, ‘di ba?” Mamaril said.
“Yung mga veterans talaga, you can’t intimidate them, kasi alam na nila. Marami na silang nadaanan,” added Mamaril, who’s now enjoying life after basketball as a nurse.
Here’s his Top 3:
Billy Mamaril on toughest players he couldn't intimidate
Danny Ildefonso
“The Demolition Man” is the first on Mamaril’s list.
“Syempre Danny I, hindi mo matatakot yun,” Mamaril said.
After all, Ildefonso ruled the paint on the way to becoming an two-time MVP, five-time Best Player of the Conference, and eight-time champion, among other accolades.
Ildefonso also didn’t back down from anyone – even from a fan that led to a ban.
Dennis Espino
Dennis “The Menace” Espino seems to be a lock on anyone’s list of toughest players.
A two-time UAAP MVP with University of Santo Tomas, Espino carved out his name as a two-way player, becoming the 2005 Defensive Player of the Year, a wo-time All-Defensive Team member, and a two-time champion.
Modern-day enforcer Beau Belga even bared he got his “Welcome to the PBA” hit from Espino.
Eric Menk
Expect to get some “Major Pain” when you’re around this guy.
Elevated to the PBA when Tanduay made its return in 1999, Menk immediately stamped his class after being named to that year’s All-Defensive Team.
The Filipino-American slotman went on to have a successful career that saw him become the 2005 MVP and a three-time Finals MVP.
Menk continued to live up to being a tough guy in the twilight of his career, once playing through a broken nose without a mask in a 2015 Philippine Cup elimination-round game.
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