There really is no denying Christian Standhardinger’s impact on NorthPort from the moment of his arrival to the Batang Pier in the middle of their 2019 PBA Governors’ Cup campaign.
With their playoff hopes then hanging in the balance, the Fil-German forward led the Batang Pier’s charge. He helped bring them all the way to the semis — just their time second in franchise history.
Standhardinger and NorthPort also wrote themselves in the league’s history books in the process. They became just the fourth eight-seeded team to take down the top seed when they beat NLEX in the quarters.
So with all that, Standhardinger was adjudged as the Best Player of the Conference, Wednesday evening.
The 30-year-old bruiser — whom San Miguel Beermen dealt to NorthPort for Mo Tautuaa — garnered a total of 1,011 votes from the media, players, and the PBA Commissioner’s Office.
Standhardinger won the balloting in lopsided fashion. His former teammate in San Miguel and good pal June Mar Fajardo, who finished second in the race, only garnered 657 votes.
The many-time Gilas Pilipinas member defeated TNT KaTropa main man Jayson Castro; Columbian Dyip’s rising star CJ Perez; and Road Warriors floor general Kiefer Ravena for the award.
“I really feel honored,” he said moments after his coronation, which took place prior to Game Four of the Finals between the Meralco Bolts and Barangay Ginebra at the SMART Araneta Coliseum.
Standhardinger is the first player in league history to be traded in the middle of the conference and win the BPC.
