There’s a stark contrast between the June Mar Fajardo inside the playing court and the one outside of it.
Outside, Fajardo is a gentle giant, who almost shies away from any form of tension.
Fajardo, however, changes his mentality when he’s within the dimensions of the parquet floor, unleashing a personality that his nickname sums up: “The Kraken.”
And the four-time PBA MVP said he and his teammates in Gilas Pilipinas will still have that killer attitude in the group stages of the Fiba World Cup Qualifiers despite clinching a spot in the second round.
“We’ll still go hard every game because we need to win every game as much as possible,” said Fajardo in Filipino Sunday at Mall of Asia Arena.
Gilas clinched their spot in the next round after beating Japan, 89-84, to up their record to 3-1 in Group B, ensuring a top-three finish in the group stages with two games to spare.
“We can’t afford to lay low, we have to win all the games before the second round.”
Fajardo, who finished with seven points, five rebounds, one steal, and one block, added their win against the Akatsuki 5 was of utmost importance after they lost to Australia 84-68 on Thursday.
“This was a big help for us and we have to build up momentum going into the second round,” said Fajardo calmly.