PBA pioneer champion Aurelio ‘Boy’ Clarino passed away on Wednesday following a lingering illness.
He was 68.
Clarino was a member of the original Toyota Tamaraws team that won the first two conference titles when Asia’s pioneering pro league opened shop in 1975.
At 6-foot-2, the Adamson alumnus would usually take on the daunting task of guarding either the imports or star players of the opposing teams with his physical plays and bruising defense.
Clarino was also not one to back down from a fight as he was among the Toyota players hauled to Fort Bonifacio in the aftermath of the infamous 1977 brawl between the Tamaraws and the Redmanizers during the season opener.
'Child trapped in a man's body'
“Fans remember Boy Clarino for his ruggedness and physicality inside the court. He was one of Toyota’s primary enforcers who won’t hesitate to stand by his teammates in need. I definitely was one of his beneficiaries as he made sure to protect me at all times,” recalled former Toyota teammate Gil Cortez of Clarino in a Facebook post.
“But what many don’t know is that Boy is actually a child trapped inside a man’s body,” added the PBA’s first-ever Rookie of the Year. “He was a mischievous soul, always ready with a prank or a joke.”
READ Yoyong Martires, PBA great, Olympian and actor, dies aged 77
Following his stint with the Tamaraws, Clarino played for Utex and Presto before joining Gilbey’s Gin in 1981, where he got to play with younger brother, the late Alex Clarino, a member of the 1978 Philippine team that played in the FIBA World Cup.
It also proved to be his final playing year in the league, where he played a total of 229 games and averaged 5.0 points per outing.
Clarino has not been well the past years that he failed to attend the 50th grand anniversary celebration of the Toyota franchise and the team’s succeeding reunions with cage rival Crispa.
His death came on the same day another PBA pioneer in Olympian and champion player Rosalio ‘Yoyong’ Martires passed away.
Get more of the latest sports news & updates on SPIN.ph
NOTICE ON UNAUTHORIZED AND UNLAWFUL USE, PUBLICATION, AND/OR DISSEMINATION OF SPIN.PH CONTENT: Please be notified that any unauthorized and unlawful use, publication, and/or dissemination of Spin.ph’s content and/or materials is a direct violation of its legal and exclusive rights to the same, and shall be subject to appropriate legal action/s.
