ANTIPOLO — June Mar Fajardo will be in Cebu City when Gilas plays its final home game of the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2027 Asian Qualifiers in February against Jordan at the newly opened SM Seaside Cebu Arena.
But don’t expect the veteran internationalist to suit up one last time for the men’s team, as he’ll only be there to watch as a fan in support of the Nationals.
“Manonood ako. Susuporta ako,” he told reporters Saturday night, moments after San Miguel’s loss to TNT in their PBA Season 50 Governors’ Cup rematch at the Ynares Center here. “Papanoorin ko ‘yung national team.”
Fans online were quick to wonder if Fajardo will instead play his final game with the Philippines when it was reported that the squad will host the Falcons at the SM Seaside Arena, since it will be held in the province where he’s from.
The nine-time PBA MVP announced his retirement prior to Window 4 of the World Cup Qualifiers last August, and went on to play his final game against Iran, in which the team won, 68-56, to revive their hopes of going to Qatar.
(C) PBA Images
Asked if it was really his last game in a Gilas jersey, the native of Pinamungajan—about two hours away from Cebu City—answered in the affirmative.
“OK na ‘ko sa national team,” he said. “Masaya na ako sa na-achieve ko sa national team. Para sa akin, sobrang blessed ako na naabutan ko ‘yung mga pioneer ng Gilas, naabutan ko ‘yung present, naabutan ko ‘yung future.”
“Sobrang blessed. OK na ako sa Gilas,” reiterated Fajardo, who began his national team journey in 2013.
“Kailangan na nating mag-train ng mga bata para sa future tournaments. Sobrang dami na nating mga bigs. Sila na ang kailangan.”
Plus, the Asian Games champion believes that he had already authored a storybook ending by finishing his international career against Team Melli.
His Gilas debut happened during the FIBA Asia Championship in 2013 in Manila, where the Gilas of Chot Reyes pulled off a magical run and went all the way to the Final before settling for a runner-up finish against the Iranians.
Thirteen years later, he went out by winning against the same team that beat them, and it couldn’t get any more poetic than that it happened in the same venue, the SM Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay.
“OK na ‘ko eh. Noong rookie ako, nakalaban ko ‘yung Iran. Tapos, noong last game ko, Iran din. Tapos, nanalo. Magandang exit ‘yun para sa akin.”
