June Mar Fajardo is the PBA Season 49 Most Valuable Player. He won the Best Player of the Conference twice and a Philippine Cup championship last season.
June Mar Fajardo has reached a level of greatness probably no contemporary in the foreseeable future can attain.
The San Miguel star set the bar even higher after bagging his record-extending ninth Most Valuable Player award during the PBA Leo Awards at Novotel Sunday, Oct. 5.
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The 6-foot-10 Cebuano pride was the clear-cut choice for the said plum after a dominant Season 49 that saw him win the Best Player of the Conference plum twice, besting Arvin Tolentino and Robert Bolick. He also led the Beermen to the Philippine Cup title.
He is a 12-time BPC awardee, four-time Finals MVP and 11-time champion.
Fajardo also barged into the Mythical First Team as well as the All-Defensive Team.
CJay Perez, NLEX's Robert Bolick, now KBL player Arvin Tolentino and TNT’s Calvin Oftana join him in the former, while TNT’s Glenn Khobuntin, Magnolia's Zavier Lucero, Ginebra's Stephen Holt and now Titan Ultra's Joshua Munzon round up the latter.
Ginebra stars Scottie Thompson and Japeth Aguilar, as well as TNT’s RR Pogoy, Converge big Justin Arana and Lucero make up the Second Mythical Team.
Meanwhile, RJ Abarrientos of the Gin Kings emerged as the Rookie of the Year.
[RELATED STORY: Ginebra ace RJ Abarrientos is PBA Season 49 Rookie of the Year]
Munzon was hailed Most Improved Player after helping lead the NorthPort-turned-Titan-Ultra to a semifinal appearance in the Commissioner’s Cup, while Gian Mamuyac bagged the Samboy Lim Sportsmanship Award.
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Like most sportswriters, Jan Ballesteros once dreamed of becoming a professional hooper. But he learned the hard way that it’s not for everyone.
He continues to be involved in the sport he loves, but this time as a member of the PBA Press Corps. Aside from primarily covering the PBA, he is also assigned to cover Gilas Pilipinas.