When Barangay Ginebra rookie first tried on a pair of basketball shoes for a game, it hardly fit.
It was painful, in fact.
That's because it wasn't his. The shoes were borrowed.
"Pinahiram lang ako ng teammate ko. Maliit 'yung paa niya, masikip, masakit lagi 'yung paa ko, tinitiis ko lang palagi. Masikip, mga half. Siyempre pag araw-araw mong ginagamit, masakit ‘yun," Estil recounted to One Sports. "Under Armour 'yun 'eh—kay Stephen Curry na sapatos."
But he pressed on, despite wincing with every step.
After all, Estil had a dream which started in the inter-purok games of San Luis, Agusan del Sur.
"Inaaya ko dati palagi 'yung Kuya ko, tapos nagtuloy-tuloy na, nakahiligan ko na 'yung basketball," he recalled.
At the time, actual basketball shoes for Sonny was a luxury.
"Laki talaga ako sa hirap, galing ako sa hirap. Trabaho ko mining, nagtatanim ng mais, ‘yun ‘yung mga trabaho ko, troso," Estil shared.
He knows a lot about the grind. And it was something he carried in his basketball game.
"Napagdaanan ko ‘yan, kaya siguro pagdating sa laro, lalo na ‘yung sipag na ginagawa ko, ganun din ‘yong sipag sa paghahanapbuhay."
@onesportsphl ‘PINAHIRAM LANG AKO [NG SAPATOS]; MASIKIP, MASAKIT LAGI ‘YUNG PAA KO, TINITIIS KO LANG’ ???🩹 Before making it to the big stage with Barangay Ginebra, PBA rookie Sonny Estil was just a kid grinding it out in the province—so much so that his first-ever basketball shoes weren’t even his. | via Gillian Trinidad/One Sports #PBA50 #PBA50LID #SportsonTiktok ? original sound - OneSportsPHL
He didn't take anything for granted.
The small inter-purok games turned into a chance to play for Colegio de San Juan de Letran in the NCAA. That turned into an opportunity to suit up for the Pampanga Giant Lanterns in the MPBL.
"Nung time na nakitaan ako ng sipag ng coach ko, binilhan ako [ng sapatos]."
When the PBA Season 50 Rookie Draft Combine came, Estil immediately showed what he got and was judged MVP.
That was enough for Barangay Ginebra San Miguel to get Estil as the 11th overall pick.
[ALSO READ: Who is Sonny Estil, MVP of PBA Season 50 Draft Combine]
Sonny vowed to pay it forward.
“Noong nag-PBA na ako, nagpasalamat agad ako sa [kaibigan ko] ‘eh. Sabi ko, balang araw, 'pag kumita ako ng pera, tutulungan din kita, kasi mahirap din ‘yung tao na ‘yun ‘eh. Basketball player sa Davao.”
It was a modest step in the PBA so far.
Nine points, seven rebounds, and a steal in his debut against Magnolia.
Then he made seven points in the win against TNT.
Estil then created nine points off the bench, along with two rebounds and four steals against Meralco.
[ALSO READ: PBA: Incoming rookie Sonny Estil in awe of Ginebra’s vaunted triangle system]
Even as he now lives his PBA dream, Sonny's heart remains anchored to where it all began—to the cornfields, to his family, to the promise he made to himself as a kid.
"'Yung mama ko ngayon, 'yun pa rin 'yung trabaho eh—nagtatanim ng mais, pag-aani. Sana magtuloy-tuloy 'yung PBA career ko para matulungan ko 'yung pamilya ko. 'Yun naman talaga 'yung patungo ko 'eh, makatulong sa pamilya tsaka sa mga kamag-anak, mga kaibigan, relatives."
And now, he's no longer borrowing shoes.
"Binigay lang [ni Scottie Thompson] kasi ang pang-practice ko [na sapatos] luma, Luka na sapatos ginagamit ko," Estil shared.
He's got three now. All from Ginebra teammate Scottie Thompson's line from World Balance.
"Nung una, binigyan niya ako, tapos binigyan niya ako ng dalawa, bale tatlo na. ST3, parehas lang lahat, gold tsaka black, tsaka white. Iba-ibang colorway."
For Sonny, it wasn’t just about the shoes—it was about the blessing of receiving three pairs from one of his basketball idols.
"Sobrang idol ko ‘yan. ‘Yan ‘yung mga idol ko, ‘yung mga hard working," he said.
Sonny Estil’s story is about never backing down, even when life feels a few sizes too small. He’s living proof that dreams don’t get handed to you; you earn them until they finally fit just right.
"PBA talaga ‘yung pinangarap ko. Step by step siya. Pinangarap ko lang siya, pero ang una ko is kung paano ako makakapunta doon para mas pursigido ka," he said.
"Kasi 'pag inisip mo lang na gusto mong mag-PBA, parang mag-aantay ka lang ng grasiya ganun, pero hindi ka talaga gagalaw."
Try taking a step in his shoes.
—
Gillian Trinidad began her career in the industry as a content producer before finding her voice as a feature writer.
She has covered a wide range of competitions—from esports titles like League of Legends, Mobile Legends: Bang Bang, and VALORANT to traditional sports and entertainment, including the WWE, PBA, and Gilas Pilipinas.