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Eric Menk
Eric Conrad Padua Menk (born August 24, 1974) is a Filipino-American former professional basketball player who played in the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) and the ASEAN Basketball League. Known as Major Pain, Menk is a four-time PBA champion and was the 2004–05 PBA Most Valuable Player.
Menk had played for the Barangay Ginebra franchise for twelve seasons before being waived and signed by the San Miguel Beermen of the ASEAN Basketball League. He was eventually picked up by the Aces of the PBA, playing for them for two seasons before retiring.
Menk was born in Grand Rapids; his family moved to Charlotte when he was six. His mother, Lucia Padua, was born in Lawa-an, Eastern Samar and met Al, his father, in Angeles City while he served in the United States Air Force. They got married in 1969. Before him, she had previously given birth to twin boys, but one was stillborn, and the other died within 24 hours. His sister was born a year later. His father began teaching him how to play basketball at the age of seven. When he turned 10, Al started to bring him to high school basketball games. He was often bullied because of his lineage.
Menk attended Charlotte High School in the state of Michigan from 1988 to 1992. In his junior year, he scored 45 points in a win over Battle Creek Lakeview, missing only two shots from the field. As a senior, he was named First Team All-State in Class A by the Associated Press and an Honorable Mention All-American by USA Today and McDonald's. He scored 28 points and grabbed 14 rebounds in a marquee matchup against the #1-ranked high-school player in the country, Chris Webber. In 2018, he was honored as a part of Charlotte's inaugural Hall of Fame class, along with Wayne Terwilliger, Brock Gutierrez, and many other alumni.
Menk decided to attend Lake Superior State University from 1992 to 1996. It was the only school from Michigan that offered him a scholarship. It was also close to his home. There, he was a 3-time All-Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference performer and an NCAA Division II All-American. As a senior, he captained a team that won the schools only GLIAC tournament championship. That year, 1996, he was GLIAC Player of the Year and MVP of the GLIAC tournament. He finished his career at LSSU with 1,800 points in 105 games.
Menk played a year in Denmark. He was an import for HIC (Horsens Idraets Club), in the Danish Elite Division in 1996–97, averaging 19 points per game.
After his stint in Denmark, Menk had offers to play in England and Ireland. His Filipino agent, Sam Unera, gave him an offer to play in the Philippines. He arrived in the Philippine basketball scene in 1997 when he played for the Tanduay Rhum Masters in the Philippine Basketball League (PBL). After adjusting to the league's physicality, he quickly made an impact in the PBL being the first Rookie of the Year Awardee and Most Valuable Player Awardee. Aside from that, he also won two more Most Valuable Player Awards and piloted Tanduay to a couple of championships. During his final PBL conference, Menk and Blu Detergent's Asi Taulava was considered one of the best rivalries at the time.
After Tanduay made its return to the PBA, the Rhum Masters were allowed to nab six players from their PBL squad. Menk headlined the list of those elevated to the pro ranks. Also, Tanduay drafted Filipino-American Sonny Alvarado as the top pick, making Menk and Alvarado as one of the strongest frontlines in the league.
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Eric Menk
Eric Conrad Padua Menk (born August 24, 1974) is a Filipino-American former professional basketball player who played in the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) and the ASEAN Basketball League. Known as Major Pain, Menk is a four-time PBA champion and was the 2004–05 PBA Most Valuable Player.
Menk had played for the Barangay Ginebra franchise for twelve seasons before being waived and signed by the San Miguel Beermen of the ASEAN Basketball League. He was eventually picked up by the Aces of the PBA, playing for them for two seasons before retiring.
Menk was born in Grand Rapids; his family moved to Charlotte when he was six. His mother, Lucia Padua, was born in Lawa-an, Eastern Samar and met Al, his father, in Angeles City while he served in the United States Air Force. They got married in 1969. Before him, she had previously given birth to twin boys, but one was stillborn, and the other died within 24 hours. His sister was born a year later. His father began teaching him how to play basketball at the age of seven. When he turned 10, Al started to bring him to high school basketball games. He was often bullied because of his lineage.
Menk attended Charlotte High School in the state of Michigan from 1988 to 1992. In his junior year, he scored 45 points in a win over Battle Creek Lakeview, missing only two shots from the field. As a senior, he was named First Team All-State in Class A by the Associated Press and an Honorable Mention All-American by USA Today and McDonald's. He scored 28 points and grabbed 14 rebounds in a marquee matchup against the #1-ranked high-school player in the country, Chris Webber. In 2018, he was honored as a part of Charlotte's inaugural Hall of Fame class, along with Wayne Terwilliger, Brock Gutierrez, and many other alumni.
Menk decided to attend Lake Superior State University from 1992 to 1996. It was the only school from Michigan that offered him a scholarship. It was also close to his home. There, he was a 3-time All-Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference performer and an NCAA Division II All-American. As a senior, he captained a team that won the schools only GLIAC tournament championship. That year, 1996, he was GLIAC Player of the Year and MVP of the GLIAC tournament. He finished his career at LSSU with 1,800 points in 105 games.
Menk played a year in Denmark. He was an import for HIC (Horsens Idraets Club), in the Danish Elite Division in 1996–97, averaging 19 points per game.
After his stint in Denmark, Menk had offers to play in England and Ireland. His Filipino agent, Sam Unera, gave him an offer to play in the Philippines. He arrived in the Philippine basketball scene in 1997 when he played for the Tanduay Rhum Masters in the Philippine Basketball League (PBL). After adjusting to the league's physicality, he quickly made an impact in the PBL being the first Rookie of the Year Awardee and Most Valuable Player Awardee. Aside from that, he also won two more Most Valuable Player Awards and piloted Tanduay to a couple of championships. During his final PBL conference, Menk and Blu Detergent's Asi Taulava was considered one of the best rivalries at the time.
After Tanduay made its return to the PBA, the Rhum Masters were allowed to nab six players from their PBL squad. Menk headlined the list of those elevated to the pro ranks. Also, Tanduay drafted Filipino-American Sonny Alvarado as the top pick, making Menk and Alvarado as one of the strongest frontlines in the league.