AS fate would have it, June Mar Fajardo ran away as the first recipient of the Ramon Fernandez PBA Finals MVP trophy.
The 36-year-old Fajardo, a former protégé and fellow Cebuano of Fernandez, saved his best for last and dropped 29 points and 23 rebounds as San Miguel finished off TNT, 92-77, to retain the Philippine Cup championship Sunday night before a crowd of 14,201 at the Mall of Asia Arena.
And with an average of 19.7 points, 18.3 rebounds, 1.7 assists, and 1.0 blocks in six games of the title series, the San Miguel star was the unanimous choice to win a new record fifth Finals MVP trophy.
For the league’s only nine-time MVP, this one truly meant a lot.
“Isang karangalan na makakuha ng championship tapos Finals MVP, si Don Ramon pa yung nag-abot ng trophy at sa kanya pa ito naka-pangalan (It’s an honor to win the championship and the Finals MVP, especially with Don Ramon himself presenting the trophy, which is also named after him),” said Fajardo. “Isang karangalan. For sure, nasa itaas ito ng trophy case ko (It’s an honor. This will definitely be at the top of my trophy case).”
Fernandez, 72, was around to personally award the gold-plated, ‘elegant shot’ trophy named in his honor by the PBA Press Corps for winning the most number of championships by any player in league history with 19.
“It’s a big honor, and truly proud and humbled by this trophy na ginawa ninyo para sa akin para sa MVP of the Finals (It’s a great honor, and I’m truly proud and humbled by this trophy you made for me as Finals MVP),” said Fernandez, who was accompanied by his wife Karla Kintanar, in the series-clinching Game 6.
The first-ever four-time PBA MVP was also given the privilege to announce the Finals MVP winner himself.
“Ang akong silingan sa Cebu, si June Mar Fajardo (My neighbor from Cebu, June Mar Fajardo),” Fernandez announced amid the wild cheers from the San Miguel Beer fans.
It was the fifth Finals MVP for Fajardo and fourth in the Philippine Cup, counting the ones he won in 2017, 2019, and 2022.
His other Finals MVP outside of the All-Filipino conference came in the 2015 Governors’ Cup.
Fajardo’s five Finals MVPs are now the most in PBA annals, surpassing the four each won by LA Tenorio, Danny Seigle, and James Yap. PBA