KEN Tuffin got his 'welcome to the PBA' moment right in his league debut game with Phoenix in the Commissioner's Cup.
And he's certainly not backing down on such physicality.
The rookie wingman was bumped hard by Don Trollano while going for a rebound late in the Fuel Masters' 113-101 win over NLEX Road Warriors on Friday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
READ: Alejandro, Rivero, Tuffin spark great Phoenix comeback vs NLEX
"I'm not going to shy away from those stuff. Physical play is in my nature. It's how New Zealand plays so it's nothing new to me," said the Fil-Kiwi rookie.
The hard shove left Tuffin flat on his back for a few minutes, though Trollano was only whistled for a personal foul.
But Tuffin introduced himself in Asia's first ever play-for-pay league in the best way possible, finishing with 16 points while knocking down three of his six attempts from beyond the arc.
At one point in the first half, he scored five straight points to get the Fuel Masters going.
"The whole idea why Phoenix drafted me was that they expect me to contribute right away," said Tuffin, who was selected in the first round by the Fuel Masters.
"So here's looking forward to the next challenge."
As for the Trollano incident, Tuffin just shrugged it off, saying the veteran NLEX guard was quick to apologize to him.
"I respect Don. I've been watching him since I was at FEU," said the rookie. "It's all part of the game. We moved on. But yeah, I respect his great game."
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