June Mar Fajardo and Greg Slaughter were still college rivals in Cebu the last time the two faced in each other in the finals.
It was nearly a decade ago when Slaughter’s University of Visayas beat Fajardo’s University of Cebu to win the Cesafi title.
Fast forward to present day, Fajardo and Slaughter will meet for the championship again, this time in the grand stage of the PBA.
A lot has changed since. Slaughter is now one of the stars for Barangay Ginebra in the PBA while Fajardo is widely-considered as the most dominant player in the country today.
Greg Slaughter (left) and June Mar Fajardo – league’s top centers – finally meet in the PBA Finals. Photo by Tristan Tamayo/INQUIRER.net
“Time flies really fast. We’ve come a long way,” said Slaughter on Tuesday during the pre-finals press conference. “It’s really exciting to be squaring off in the PBA Finals.”
Nine years removed from that finals loss, Fajardo still remembers it like it was yesterday.
“Natalo kami nung finals nung nasa Cebu kami. Sana this time, ako naman manalo,” Fajardo said.
(I lost to him when we were in the finals in Cebu. Hopefully, I’ll win this time.)
The 7-foot Slaughter was sidelined with an ankle injury when San Miguel dominated Ginebra in the 2017 Philippine Cup Finals in five games.
With Slaughter healthy, all signs point to a long and grueling seven-game series beginning Friday night at Smart Araneta Coliseum.