June Mar Fajardo. Photo by Tristan Tamayo/ INQUIRER.net
Sacrifice has been the word most often thrown around after San Miguel claimed 2017 PBA Commissioner’s Cup.
And in the championship-clinching Game 6, there was no one else who perfectly exhibited that trait other than three-time PBA MVP June Mar Fajardo.
The Cebuano giant played only close to 14 minutes and chipped in a Finals-low performance of two points, four rebounds, and two assists on Sunday.
But those numbers were the least of Fajardo’s concerns, as his extended time off the bench allowed the Beermen to fully take advantage of their speed.
Charles Rhodes and Arwind Santos manned the paint for San Miguel, allowing the terror three-man combo of Finals MVP Alex Cabagnot, Best Player of the Conference Chris Ross, and sharp-shooter Marcio Lassiter to waylay the hapless TNT squad.
“I don’t mind (being saddled on the bench),” Fajardo said in Filipino. “My teammates have been playing well and that combination of coach worked for us. Also, my time on the bench kept their import on the bench, so it was huge in helping us get this win.”
Fajardo shared that he couldn’t be more proud with the way his teammates played, as the Beermen sealed their fifth title in three years.
“I’m happy that they stepped up. They showed the heart of a champion,” he said.
With two titles this conference in the bag, San Miguel is now in the running to achieve the rare Grand Slam with a championship in the Governors’ Cup.
But Fajardo knows that everything is a process and he’d rather take this moment first to enjoy this championship before preparing back to war.
“We want to cherish this moment first and rest. We’ll think about that when we get there. We know teams are getting stronger and even though the imports are smaller, they’re still going to be running hard against us,” he said.
But make no mistake, Grand Slam is definitely on the Beermen’s minds.
“We really want that Grand Slam,” said Fajardo.