The San Miguel Beermen just reclaimed the PBA Philippine Cup, beating out the TNT Tropang 5G in six games in a highly contentious series. But even in the aftermath of this hard-fought finale, the mightiest of all Beermen, June Mar Fajardo, was already looking forward to his next goal—and it might be the loftiest, grandest one of them all: a San Miguel Grand Slam.
The affable eight-time MVP bared his grand plan to go for a San Miguel Grand Slam to Spin.ph’s Reuben Terrado, telling him that said goal is written somewhere in his room as motivation.
“’Yung Grand Slam, siyempre, ‘yun ang pinaka-goal namin. Nakasulat nga ‘yun sa salamin doon sa kuwarto ko: ‘Win a Grand Slam.’ Pag nagpu-push up ako, ‘yun ‘yung tinitignan ko. ‘Yun ‘yung isa sa motivation ko,” he said. “Alam ko naman na mahirap makakuha ng Grand Slam. Hindi porket sinasabi natin na gusto natin mag-Grand Slam, makukuha natin agad. Kailangan natin pagtrabahuan. Sabi ko sa inyo, hindi naman kami bumabata. Pero gagawin namin lahat…”
Well, a San Miguel Grand Slam really is a grand, lofty goal—and it’s certainly a difficult one to achieve, as TNT just found out. But it’s only right that the GOAT of Philippine basketball—in the eyes of many, at least—move heaven and Earth to get it.
In fact, there are three reasons a San Miguel Grand Slam is something Fajardo and the Beermen must go hard after:
A San Miguel Grand Slam Is the Only Mountain Left to Climb
The Kraken, put simply, has won everything there is to win as a basketball player, particularly in the PBA. He’s an 11-time champion, 8-time MVP, 4-time Finals MVP, 12-time Best Player of the Conference, 10-time Mythical Team member (9 times as a First Teamer), and a member of the PBA’s Greatest 50 List. He’s also won Defensive Player of the Year (2015), was named to the All-Defensive Team seven times, and once hailed Comeback Player of the Year (2021).
If those accolades weren’t enough, Fajardo was also thrice bestowed the PBA Order of Merit Award (2018, 2019, 2024), got the Sportsmanship Award twice (2015, 2016), and nabbed the Most Improved Player Award in 2014. He’s also won medals in the Southeast Asian Games (gold in 2019, silver in 2021), Asian Games (gold in 2022), FIBA Asia Cup (bronze in 2014), and FIBA Asia Championship (silver, 2013). He was also part of a couple of FIBA World Cup national teams and generally regarded as the GOAT of local hoops.
For all that JMF has accomplished in his career, Grand Slam winner is something he cannot call himself just yet. In short, it’s the only mountain Fajardo has yet to summit.
A San Miguel Grand Slam Is Unfinished Business
While Fajardo may not have reached the Grand Slam mountaintop, he has gotten at least two-thirds of the way there twice. Only, he and his Beermen were denied a place in history both times. The first time, in the 2016–17 Season, San Miguel came up nine wins short. Then, in the 2019 Season, the Beermen were again nine wins shy of entering rarefied air.
In Season 42 (2016-17) San Miguel dominated the first two conferences and looked poised to win a treble. But the Beermen finished sixth in the eliminations of the 2017 Governors’ Cup and had to face Justine Brownlee-led Barangay Ginebra San Miguel in the quartefinals with a twice-to-win disadvantage. San Miguel had no answers for prime JB and crashed out, leaving their Grand Slam dreams in ruins.
It was deja vu for San Miguel in Season 44 (2019) as it again won the championship in the first two conferences, only to struggle in the 2019 Governors’ Cup. The Beermen again fell to twice-to-win territory, this time as a fifth seed but against a familiar formidable foe: Brownlee and the Barangay. San Miguel put up a better fight this time around but still fell to Ginebra to say good-bye to that Grand Slam.
After two foiled Grand Slam bids, Fajardo and the Beermen might be due.
A San Miguel Grand Slam Is the Perfect Capper to a Storied Career
Fajardo is still only 35 years old, and as Kelly Williams and teammate Chris Ross have shown, age is just a number in the PBA. But JMF already has some wear and tear, fracturing his leg in 2020 and suffering from calf issues recently. Between his injury history, advancing age, and bruising style, it’s fair to wonder how long Fajardo will be his usual dominant self and when he’ll decide to call it a career. But with a San Miguel Grand Slam still out there to be had, Fajardo certainly has some big motivation to continue dominating.
That’s purely speculation at this point, but if Fajardo is, indeed, in the twilight of his illustrious career, winning a Grand Slam will sure be an emphatic way to cap it off. It doesn’t mean JMF will retire if he does win one next season as he probably has three to four more good years left. But should he lead the Beermen to this grand, lofty goal, he’d be able to ride of the sunset with as complete a resume there is for a local hoops player.
Fajardo and the Beermen can start their quest for the San Miguel Grand Slam in the PBA’s golden year, Season 50, which is tentatively set for October.
