June Mar Fajardo with his trophies which includes a fifth PBA MVP award. Photo by Tristan Tamayo/INQUIRER.net
BULACAN, Philippines—June Mar Fajardo returned to the venue that hosted a dark chapter in his illustrious career.
San Miguel’s jovial giant went back to Philippine Arena to collect his fifth straight MVP during the opening ceremonies of the 2019 PBA season six months after the Philippine national team got involved in one of the worst basketball incidents in sporting history.
Gilas Pilipinas and the Australian national team got into a huge brawl late in the third quarter of their match in the Fiba World Cup Asian Qualifiers that saw basketball’s governing body suspend a total of 13 players from both teams get suspended.
Of the 13, 10 were from the Philippines but Fajardo wasn’t one of them.
Taking into account the heated atmosphere, it can be argued that it would’ve been easy for the 6-foot-10 Fajardo to jump into the melee but the five-time PBA MVP thought of the lessons his mother Marites taught him.
Fajardo said back in July 2018 that his parents taught him to always stay away from trouble and the brawl happened with his mother Marites watching.
“I could’ve easily joined in because I was in the middle of it all and my mother was watching,” said Fajardo in Filipino. “I looked at her and she was shocked and I know that you shouldn’t resort to violence and not all things will be resolved by getting physical.”
As for Marites, she’s always taught Fajardo to be peaceful but she herself was surprised that her son would turn into what he is today.
“I just told him that he shouldn’t join the fight because there are a lot of little kids who look up to him and idolizes him,” said Marites in Filipino Sunday. “He should always stay out of trouble and just stay where he is.”
Marites added her son has always been family-oriented ever since he was a kid and she constantly reminded Fajardo to be close to the Lord.
“June Mar was always a family-oriented person and I always tell him that he should always be close to the Lord’s teaching because it’s from Him whom we get our strength,” said Marites. “That was how we’ve taught our child.”