June Mar Fajardo made his record even more untouchable after taking home the PBA Season 48 Most Valuable Player honors during the Leo Awards, Sunday.
The San Miguel star earned the league’s highest individual award for the eighth time in the ceremonies held at the historic SMART Araneta Coliseum.
It was also his second MVP in a row since coming back from a gruesome shin injury he suffered in practice back in 2020 that kept him out for over a year.
Fajardo was instrumental in San Miguel’s return to Commissioner’s Cup supremacy after four years, beating a familiar opponent in Magnolia in six games to annex the franchise’s second title in four conferences at the time.
The 6-foot-10 Cebuano finished the import-laden tilt with per-game averages of 16.2 points, 12.0 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 1.1 steals, and 2.3 blocks.
He continued his fine play in the season-ending Philippine Cup, so much so that he went on to win his 10th Best Player of the Conference award overall.
The Beermen, though, fell at the hands of Meralco in a thrilling Finals series, but not before Fajardo attempted to lift his team in Game 6.
He even nailed an unlikely game-tying triple until Chris Newsome saved the Bolts.
Now a 10-time champion, Fajardo finished the all-Filipino wars with averages of 18.8 points, 14.3 rebounds, 2.9 assists, and 1.3 blocks per outing.
He bested teammate CJ Perez, the Commissioner’s Cup BPC, and former Ginebra star Christian Standhardinger, who’s now with Terrafirma.
Fajardo, Perez, and Standhardinger bannered the Mythical First Team, which also features Newsome and NorthPort star Arvin Tolentino.
Fajardo and Newsome are part of the All-Defensive Team as well, together with Bolts veteran Cliff Hodge, Kemark Carino and the seasoned Joshua Munzon.
Last season, Carino, an incoming sophomore for the Dyip, led the league in blocks with 1.7 a game.
Meanwhile, Munzon became more of a defensive-oriented winger for NorthPort and emerged as the top guy in steals with 2.5.
Hodge is part of the Mythical Second Team too, with Stephen Holt, Terrafirma star Juami Tiongson, Phoenix’s Jason Perkins, and Calvin Oftana of TNT.
Holt was adjudged as the Season 48 Rookie of the Year after helping the Dyip to a historic quarterfinal run in the Philippine Cup, where they dragged then-defending champions SMB to a do-or-die match.
Now with Ginebra following the blockbuster trade a day before the Season 49 Draft, Holt averaged 17.0 points, 6.9 rebounds, 5.5 assists, and nearly two steals in his first season in Asia’s pioneering pro league.
Winning Most Improved Player honors, on the other hand, was Jhonard Clarito as the 6-foot-2 workhorse earned a bigger role for Rain or Shine last season.
He only averaged 1.3 points in Season 47 but hiked his production last season to 10.8 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 1.7 assists in 21.8 minutes in a campaign that saw him help the Elasto Painters reach the Philippine Cup semifinals.
The Samboy Lim Sportsmanship Award, lastly, went to Paul Zamar of NorthPort as the veteran guard exemplified ethical behavior, fair play, and integrity.
Statistical breakdown of the PBA Season 48 Leo Awards @tiebreakertimes pic.twitter.com/DBP7okON37
— Justine Bacnis (@justinebacnis) August 18, 2024
