Video by INQUIRER.net’s Ryan Leagogo
MANILA, Philippines — Years back, a 6-foot-5 June Mar Fajardo took a chance when he tried out for the University of Cebu’s basketball team.
Seven years later, Fajardo has emerged as one of the best players in the country today, Saturday. Not buying it? He just won the MVP, made it to the All-Defensive Team and was named Most Improved player in just his second year in the PBA.
Jun Mar Fajardo bags the MVP plum of the 2014 PBA Governors’ Cup aside from being named to the All Defensive Team and the Most Improved Player in only his second year as a professional basketball player. RYAN LEAGOGO/INQUIRER.net
“Hard work,” the 24-year-old Fajardo with four of his trophies he won at the 2014 Leo Awards lined up at the table where he spoke to reporters Saturday night.
“Hindi ko ma-explain yung nararamdaman ko (I can’t really explain what I’m feeling). Maraming nangangarap na mkakuha ng award na ito at sa dinami rami ng magaling na player dito sa PBA, ako yung napili (A lot of good players dream of getting this award and of all the great players here in the PBA, I was the one chosen).”
Fajardo, the San Miguel Beer center, amassed a total of 2614 points collected from statistics and votes from the media, players and league office. He edged Talk ‘N Text’s Jayson Castro and Ranidel de Ocampo, San Mig Coffee’s Mark Barroca and Air21’s ageless big man Si Taulava for the top individual award.
The 6-foot-10 Fajardo also dedicated the plum to his high school and college coaches, family including his uncle Lito Dugho, who died of liver cancer just recently.
“Kapag nanonood ng basketball yon, hindi na makatayo yon dahil sa sakit niya pero pagnakaka-score ako napapasigaw siya,” Fajardo said of his uncle, whom he said was very close to his heart.
Winning the championship remains his ultimate goal.
“Gusto ko talaga mag-champion. Lahat ng ito parang reward lang sa hard work na ginawa ko. (I really want to win a championship. All of these are just a reward for the hard work I’ve done),” Fajardo, the fifth youngest player in the league to win the MVP award said.
And the soft-spoken Fajardo, who was teary-eyed during his MVP speech before a jampacked crowd anticipating Game 3 of the PBA Governors’ Cup Finals, knows he won’t even be close to where he is now had he not taken that step which he still vividly remembers until now.
“Nag-walk-in kami sa practice ng UC para lang makakuha ng scholariship and nagpapasalamat ako sa kanila kinuha nila ako (We decided walked in during practice at UC for a chance at a scholarship and I’m thankful for the opportunity they had given me,” Fajardo, who averaged 16.8 points, 14.2 rebounds and 2.1 blocks throughout the season, recalled.
Fajardo’s long-time rival, Greg Slaughter of Barangay Ginebra San Miguel, bagged the Rookie of the Year award and was also selected to be part of the Mythical Second Team with Rain or Shine’s Paul Lee, a pair of Mixers in PJ Simon and Marc Pingris and Alaska’s Sonny Thoss.
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