REIGNING seven-time MVP June Mar Fajardo of San Miguel Beer is out to add another achievement to what is already a legendary pro league career this Sunday, Aug. 18.
The 6-foot-10 Fajardo is poised to bag a record-extending eighth MVP award when the PBA holds the annual Leo Awards at 4 p.m. at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
Fajardo showed the way in the MVP race with 42.1 statistical points after leading the Beermen to two straight finals stints, including a title conquest in the Commissioner’s Cup opposite their sister team Magnolia Hotshots.
Fajardo topped the board battle with 13.4 rebounds per game.
He also normed 17.8 points, 2.8 assists and 1.7 block shots and captured the Philippine Cup Best Player of the Conference plum.
Fajardo stretched his personal record by winning a seventh MVP trophy–a feat unprecedented in Asia’s first play-for-pay league history.
Ginebra center Christian Standhardinger and Fajardo’s SMB teammate CJ Perez emerged as his closest rivals.
Standhardinger was No. 2 in the derby with 37.8 SPs built on 19.2 points, 10.2 rebounds, and 5.0 assists, while Perez, winner of the Commissioner’s Cup Best Player of the Conference, followed at third with 37.4 SPs after averaging 18.9 points, 6.3 rebounds, 3.7 assists, and 1.9 steals.
Completing the top five were Arvin Tolentino of Northport and TNT’s Calvin Oftana with 35.9 SPs and 35.4 SPs, respectively.
Terrafirma’s Stephen Holt is a cinch to win the Rookie of the Year honor.
The Fil-Am guard and No. 1 overall pick in last year’s draft led the race among freshmen with 34.1 SPs. He was best among all newcomers in scoring (17.0 points), assists (5.5), and steals (1.9) while running at No. 6 in the fight for the highest award.
Holt also guided the Dyip to a maiden stint in the quarterfinals in eight years last season in the import-less tourney.
Batang Pier’s Cade Flores was second behind Holt with 23.3 SPs while leading all rookies in rebounding with 9.3 caroms.
Adrian Nocum of Rain or Shine (21.8 SPs), Ken Tuffin of Phoenix (21.5 SPs), and Blackwater’s Christian David (17.8 SPs), the second overall pick last season, made it to the top five.
After the awards rites, an opening ceremony will usher in the 49th season at 5 o’clock that will be capped by the lone game pitting Meralco and Magnolia at 7:30 p.m.
After raising the curtains in the new season, Fajardo will leave the historic Big Dome with an equally historic feat.
