REIGNING eight-time June Mar Fajardo MVP was his usual stoic mode when he showed up to receive the Mr. Basketball (pro) plum from the Philippine Sportswriters Association last Monday night.
While elated no end after adding another laurel to his massive trophy haul, Fajardo got serious about defending champion San Miguel Beer’s chances in the PBA Commissioner’s Cup.
“Tagilid kami ngayon. Pero may chance pa naman kami. Hopeful pa rin kami,” Fajardo said during the annual PSA Awards Night at The Manila Hotel.
“Siyempre malungkot iyong team pero high hopes pa rin kami,” he added.
The Beermen wound up with a 5-7 mark in the eliminations of the import-spiced meet and will await their fate depending on the ending of the Magnolia Hotshots and the NLEX Road Warriors in their elimination campaigns.
The 6-foot-10 behemoth shows the way in the best player of the conference race but his bid for a record-extending 11th award is in peril.
Fajardo posted a 44.8 statistical point average to lead the quartet of Arvin Tolentino (Northport), Robert Bolick (NLEX), Calvin Oftana (TNT), and rookie Jordan Heading (Converge).
The winner of the most BPC plums with 10, Fajardo normed 19.8 points, a league-best 17.3 rebounds, and 4.5 assists in the statistical points standings released by the pro league after the holiday break.
Fajardo’s recent BPC came in the season-opening Governors’ Cup.
With a PSA award in his cabinet, a title and another BPC award will certainly not hurt.
“Siyempre, isang karangalan na mapabilang dito,” he said. Thankful ako sa PSA. Nakakataba ng puso. Thankful ako.”