Stanley Pringle is the king of the PBA bubble.
The 33-year-old was crowned the 2020 Philippine Cup Best Player of the Conference in the virtual Special Awards ceremonies, Sunday night.
Pringle edged out Phoenix Super LPG main man Matthew Wright in what was the tightest race for the plum since 1994, per stats chief Fidel Mangonon III.
PBA SEASON 45 BEST PLAYER OF THE CONFERENCE | |||||
NAME | STATS | MEDIA | PLAYERS | PBA | TOTAL |
PRINGLE, Stanley | 641 | 632 | 67 | 300 | 1,640 |
WRIGHT, Matthew | 657 | 868 | 53 | 1,578 | |
POGOY, Roger | 657 | 141 | 10 | 150 | 958 |
PARKS, Bobby Ray | 704 | 118 | 4 | 50 | 876 |
ABUEVA, Calvin | 684 | 59 | 36 | 779 | |
PEREZ, CJ | 658 | 10 | 668 |
The former scoring champion garnered a total of 1,640 votes from stats, media, the players, and the PBA, while the Fil-Canadian sniper got 1,578.
TNT gunner Roger Pogoy came in at a distant third with 958 votes, followed by teammate Ray Parks, Fuel Master Calvin Abueva, and Terrafirma’s CJ Perez.
“All the players deserve to be on the list. Just to be nominated, for me, is a blessing,” expressed Pringle.
The explosive Fil-Am guard wasn’t even in the top five of the stats race, but his crucial role in the Gin Kings’ title run got him into the BPC conversation.
He was the most consistent player for Coach Tim Cone with per-game averages of 18.5 points, 5.9 rebounds, 3.7 assists, and a steal.
Pringle held the fort for the Barangay especially early in the eliminations, when stars LA Tenorio and Japeth Aguilar played under limited minutes.
The Penn State product was a reason behind their top-seed finish with an 8-3 card before helping his side finish TNT in five games in the Finals.
By assisting the Barangay cop its first Perpetual Trophy in 13 years, he now has three PBA titles to his collection expected to grow further.
“I’m here to help the team win,” said Pringle.
“And as far as awards, your teammates are gonna put you in the position to win, so it’s just as much as their award as yours.”
Him winning the BPC marked a big night for Ginebra, as three more Gin Kings were honored in the special rites.
Scottie Thompson was bestowed with the Samboy Lim Sportsmanship Award, while Prince Caperal was adjudged as the bubble’s Most Improved Player.
Ultimately, Aguilar was named a member of the Elite Five, marking the third time in his career that he has earned a first team all-PBA selection.
“Just going out with a championship, my teammates put it all in the line. It just goes to show our hard work and dedication,” Pringle said.