The road to a ninth PBA MVP award is off to a great start for June Mar Fajardo.
Fajardo, the Gilas mainstay regarded as one of the best ever in local hoops, won on Sunday a record-setting 11th Best Player of the Conference award, capping off a dominant PBA Governors’ Cup stint where he averaged 21.0 points, 16.3 rebounds (league-best), 3.1 assists, and 1.0 block in 21 games.
The San Miguel Beerman beat out the Barangay Ginebra San Miguel duo of Japeth Aguilar and Scottie Thompson with a total of 989 points on the back of 465 statistical points (SPs), 476 points from media votes, 48 points from players votes. Aguilar was a distant second with 335 SPs, 77 points from the players, and 252 points from the media for a total of 664.
Fajardo, though, made it clear that individual awards are only secondary, with winning championships the primary goal still.
“Gagawin ko ‘yung best ko para makatulong sa team. ‘Yung mga awards naman, parang reward na lang ‘yun sa hard work,” he told reporters. “Pero hindi naman talaga ‘yun ‘yung goal ko. Hindi naman talaga ako nagche-chase ng individual awards. ‘Yung chine-chase namin, same lang sa mga teammates ko—championship.”
Hollis-Jefferson Earns Back-to-Back Best Import Award
Meanwhile, TNT Tropang Giga reinforcement Hollis-Jefferson secured his second PBA Governors’ Cup Best Import award, also on Sunday. Hollis-Jefferson edged out rival Justin Brownlee of Ginebra in a battle of super imports.
The do-it-all RHJ earned 1,221 points on the strength of 663 SPs, 491 media votes, and 67 player votes. Brownlee finished with 947 on 588 SPs, 266 media votes, and 93 player votes.
Hollis-Jefferson normed per-game averages of norms of 28.0 points, 12.9 rebounds, 6.4 assists, 2.9 steals, and 1.9 blocks prior to the PBA Governors’ Cup Finals, while Brownlee posted 28.3 points, 9.2 rebounds, 5.8 assists, 1.6 steals, and 1.5 blocks.
RHJ and Fajardo received their awards prior to Game 4 of the PBA Governors’ Cup Finals on Sunday at the Araneta Coliseum.
