Abueva, Fajardo share spotlight in PBAPC Awards Night

MANILA, Philippines -- June Mar Fajardo and Calvin Abueva, two of the pro league’s newest stars, will share the spotlight next week when the PBA Press Corps holds its annual Awards Night to honor last season’s top performers at the Century Park Hotel.

Fajardo, San Miguel Beer’s newest franchise player, is coming off another superlative performance last season that saw him capture his second straight league MVP trophy.

The 6-foot-10 Fajardo capped his third season as a pro with a career-high mark of 17.4 points, to go along with season-best numbers of 12.9 rebounds and 1.7 blocks, making him the hands-down choice for the Gerry’s Grill-Defensive Player of the Year award.

A standout from the University of Cebu, Fajardo was a vital force in San Miguel’s dominant championship run last season.

With the Cebuano big man in top form, the Beermen captured their first all-Filipino Cup title since 2001, before closing the PBA’s 40th season with the Governors Cup crown.

Equally impressive is the 6-foot-1 Abueva, the energetic Alaska wingman, who is coming off another solid play in his third season on the way to winning the Mr. Quality Minutes award.

Abueva, who comes from the same 2012 rookie batch with Fajardo, served as the Aces’ spark plug off the bench with his career-best 12.8 points, that go along with 8.8 rebounds and 2.3 assists in just under 22.9 minutes of play.

The former San Sebastian Stag is fresh from his very first national team stint, helping Gilas Pilipinas to a silver-medal finish in the recent William Jones Cup in Taipei.

Highlighting the affair on Wednesday which starts at 7 p.m. is the bestowing of the Virgilio ‘Baby’ Dalupan Coach of the Year and the Danny Floro Executive of the Year awards.

Meantime, GlobalPort’s young star Terrence Romeo will be receiving the Scoring champion award, while San Miguel’s veteran playmaker Alex Cabagnot will be the recipient of the William ‘Bogs’ Adornado Comeback Player of the Year award.

Romeo’s Batang Pier teammate Stanley Pringle leads the awardees in the All-Rookie team, along with Alaska’s Chris Banchero, Matt Ganuelas-Rosser of Talk ‘N Text, Rain or Shine’s Jericho Cruz and Barako Bull’s Jake Pascual.

Top officials of the PBA led by president and CEO Chito Salud, the league’s new commissioner Chito Narvasa as well as incoming chairman Robert Non are expected to grace the affair.