ALL HAIL THE GREATEST
When the final chapter is written in the career of June Mar Fajardo, he will be regarded as one of the greatest the Philippine Basketball Association has ever witnessed.
And Sunday night showed why there’s still that thirst for him to achieve more, as Fajardo saved his best for last to give the San Miguel Beermen the Philippine Cup title for the second straight season by way of their 92-77 Game 6 win over the TNT Tropang 5G at the Mall of Asia Arena.
A crowd of more than 14,000 witnessed Fajardo deliver 29 points that went with 23 rebounds—his seventh career 20-20 game in the Finals—in a dominant capper to a series that earned him a record fifth Most Valuable Player award from the PBA Press Corps (PBAPC).
Fajardo also became the first recipient of the Ramon Fernandez Trophy, which was personally handed to him by the iconic “El Presidente.”
“I really needed to give it my all tonight,” said Fajardo amid the celebration at center court. “But shoutout to TNT for giving us a hard-fought series.”
The trophy commissioned by the PBAPC bearing Fernandez’s image while doing his trademark “Elegant Shot” seemed poignant to land in Fajardo’s hands, with the 6-foot-10 gentle giant also being a native of Cebu, where Fernandez is also from.
Fernandez also spent a huge chunk of his heyday with San Miguel after entering the league with Toyota and then later on suiting up for Manila Beer and Tanduay. Fajardo, meanwhile, has only played for the Beermen.
Many candidates
Fajardo winning the award didn’t look evident after the first five games, as there were a lot who provided heroics. Guys like Don Trollano, CJ Perez, Mo Tautuaa, Rodney Brondial and Kris Rosales had their respective shining moments, with Perez having some sort of an inside track after coming up with that seven-point explosion inside the last 50 seconds of Game 3 that resulted in a 2-1 San Miguel lead.
He wound up averaging 19.6 points, 18.3 rebounds, 1.6 assists and a block in the series to break his tie for most Finals MVPs with LA Tenorio, now the Magnolia coach, and retired all-time greats James Yap and Danny Seigle.
In getting another trophy, comparisons between Fajardo and Fernandez will be debated even more.
It was Fajardo’s 12th PBA championship, moving him seven shy of equaling Fernandez’s record for most among players.
San Miguel, meanwhile, won its record-extending 31st championship and eighth PH Cup in the last 11 seasons, proof of its dominance centered around Fajardo.
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