SMB's Fajardo extends MVP reign with 4th straight plum

MANILA, Philippines – San Miguel Beer center June Mar Fajardo further raised the bar in individual greatness in pro play as he stretched his record reign as PBA Most Valuable Player to a fourth straight year.

Fajardo led the honor rolls in the 2017 PBA Leo Awards last night at the Smart Araneta Coliseum, and thus joined legends Ramon Fernandez and Alvin Patrimonio in an elite list of four-time PBA MVP awardees.

But far more amazing was the pace taken by the 6-foot-11 Cebuano giant in collecting his four MVP trophies.

After losing the Rookie of the Year award to Calvin Abueva of Alaska Milk in 2013, Fajardo rose to the very top the following year and has been the league’s premier player since then.

Only at 27, Fajardo could be a fixture in the annual season-end awards for years to come.

Fernandez, the original barometer of greatness in the league, harvested his four MVP plums over a period of 13 years, the last with San Miguel in 1988. He bagged his first three precious wares in 1982 with Toyota, 1984 with Beer Hausen and 1986 with Tanduay.

Meanwhile, Patrimonio, the brightest PBA star in the 90s, completed his own quadruple MVP feat in nine years, winning the coveted individual award in 1991, 1993, 1994 and 1997 all with Purefoods.

As in the last three years, Fajardo won the MVP derby in runaway fashion.

Fajardo, MVP race runners-up Alex Cabagnot and Chris Ross, another Beerman Arwind Santos and Ginebra’s Japeth Aguilar made up the Mythical First Team.

Three teammates making the Mythical First Five had happened nine times in the past, but not four teammates landing in the elite selection.

“I’m happy for that. It proved we’re winning not because of just one or two players. We’re winning as a team,” said Fajardo, ruing though that they missed a grand slam season.

More than awards and the championships, Fajardo also wants to be a good example to the youth with a good conduct on and off the court.

“That’s the most important thing for me,” he said. “In the first place, I didn’t imagine that I would make the PBA. And here now, I’m in the PBA and winning all these awards.”

Ginebra teammates LA Tenorio and Joe Devance, TNT’s Jayson Castro and Kelly Williams, and Meralco’s Cliff Hodge composed the Mythical Second Team.

RR Pogoy, a key player in TNT’s second-place finish in the Commissioner’s Cup and top four windups in the all-Filipino tourney and in the Governors Cup, bagged the Rookie of the Year award.

Ross, emerging an MVP contender in his eighth PBA season, copped the Most Improved Player honors.

Gabe Norwood earned the Sportsmanship Award and joined Fajardo, Aguilar, Ross and Jio Jalalon in the All-Defensive Team.