You don't want to get Major Pain mad.
Young players entering the PBA usually have to go through some sort of hazing, a light and good-natured test where they get picked on by senior members of their team.
It's all in good fun, really.
Ronald Tubid recalled that even though he wasn't technically a rookie anymore when he joined the then-Barangay Ginebra Kings in 2006, he still got targeted by his teammates.
In particular, he mentioned two veteran big men.
"Pinainom ako nina Erik Menk at Andy Seigle sa Palawan!" Tubid recounted in one of Mac Cardona's recent vlogs.
"Alam mo naman 'yung mga 'yun, ang lalakas uminom ng mga 'yan!" Cardona chimed in.
"That time, roommate ko si Billy Mamaril. Kinatok kami ng dalawang malaki (Menk at Seigle)," Tubid added.
"No longer rookie!" Tubid recounted telling Menk and Seigle. "(Pero sabi nila) 'You're new here? Drink with us. If you're not gonna drink with us, we're gonna throw you into the pool!'"
Tubid said they were on the second floor of the resort.
He eventually became known to be part of The Fast, The Furious, and the Fearless trio with Mark Caguioa and Jayjay Helterbrand and won as co-Finals MVP with Menk in the 2008 PBA Fiesta Conference.
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Tubid's candid story prompted Cardona to recall a similar instance with Asi Taulava and Jay Washington with the then-Talk 'N Text Phone Pals.
"Alam mo kung saan nila ako ibabato? Sa bridge sa Sydney!" Cardona claimed. "Makulit talaga ang mga Fil-Am pero sobrang cool kasama."
Incidentally, Cardona and Tubid eventually became two of the more brash and mercurial players in recent PBA history. Imagining them being terrified of their seniors during their early years sounds funny now.
We can only imagine how they hazed rookies later on in their careers.
(PM)