DON’T be surprised seeing Billy Mamaril in a nurse’s scrub one of these days.
The veteran PBA player is almost done with his nursing school and could be joining the country’s medical force now that his basketball career is almost over.
Mamaril’s three-year stay with San Miguel finally came to an end as he was no longer offerer a new contract by the franchise, according to team manager Gee Abanilla.
“Wala na kaming ma-offer sa kanya na contract, e,” said Abanilla.
Being let go by the Beermen meant the 40-year-old son of lanky former Ginebra big man Romulo Mamaril is now an unrestricted free agent, although Abanilla thinks the 6-foot-6 power forward would no longer be playing since he’s almost finished with his nursing course.
“I don’t think he’s going to play anymore kasi nagnu-nursing na yan e,” disclosed the San Miguel official. “Towards the end of his nursing study na rin siya.”
Abanilla added Mamaril was already preparing for his future by taking up nursing while he was still playing with the Beermen.

While retirement beckons for the former first-round pick in the 2003 draft, Abanilla doesn't want to preempt Mamaril’s plans as far as his playing career is concerned.
“Wala naman siyang sinasabi na officially retired siya. Kasi baka mamaya sabihin ko nag-retire siya, tapos mamaya maglaro siya sa iba,” said the San Miguel team manager, leaving it to Mamaril to make any announcement.
Mamaril joined the Beermen in 2017 as back up to six-time MVP June Mar Fajardo, especially after then rookie Christian Standhardinger wasn’t available yet as he was still playing with Hong Kong Eastern with the ASEAN Basketball League (ABL).
But even after the arrival of Standhardinger, Mamaril stayed on and suited up for the team for the next three seasons, including last year’s Philippine Cup bubble.
In his three-year stay with the Beermen, Mamaril won three championships including back-to-back Philippine Cup titles in 2018 and 2019 and a Commissioner’s Cup crown also in 2019.
Mamaril averaged 1.6 points and 2.3 assists in 9.3 minutes in his final season with the Beermen last year as a back-up in the middle for Mo Tautuaa and Arwind Santos in the absence of the injured 6-foot-10 Fajardo.
Aside from San Miguel, Mamaril also played for Purefoods, Shell, Coca-Cola, Barangay Ginebra, Air21, and NorthPort.
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