San Miguel Beermen franchise pillar June Mar Fajardo already has plans for his newly minted Ramon Fernandez PBA Finals MVP award: He’ll be putting it at the very top of his trophy case.
The amiable big man was visibly stoked at not just winning another PBA championship, but also at being named the first-ever Ramon Fernandez PBA Finals MVP. The award was recently named after the legendary Ramon Fernandez, himself an icon of the franchise and a basketball great from the Visayas.
“Isang karangalan na makakuha ng championship tapos Finals MVP, si Don Ramon pa ‘yung nag-abot, tapos sa kaniya pa ‘to nakapangalan,” Fajardo told reporters after the Beermen’s title-clinching Game 6 win at the Mall of Asia Arena. “Isang karangalan, isang karangalan. For sure nasa taas ‘to ng trophy case ko.”
That trophy case is obviously filled to the brim, as June Mar Fajardo has won everything there is in local hoops, except that Grand Slam. Even so, it’s obvious he relishes his new hardware and holds it in very high regard.
June Mar Fajardo Did What Leaders Do
In Game 6, June Mar Fajardo put up 29 points and 22 boards in another dominant performance against the hard-fighting frontline of the TNT Tropang 5G. For Abai, it was all a matter of following his teammates’ urgency to win.
“Kelangan manalo. Kelangan idiin,” Fajardo deadpanned. “Nakita ko ‘yung mga teammates ko kung gano sila kapursigido manalo, so siyempre, isa ko sa mga leaders ng team. Kelangan ko ipakita na ganun din ako, gusto ko rin manalo.”
June Mar Fajardo wanted to win, all right, so much so that he powered past a bum knee to lead his Beermen to the promised land for a 12th time in 12 years.
And he deservedly received the inaugural Ramon Fernandez PBA Finals MVP for his efforts.
