Magnolia's Lee, Alaska's Harris win PBA Governors Cup player awards 

Game Friday (Smart Araneta Coliseum)
7 p.m. – Magnolia vs Alaska

MANILA, Philippines –  Magnolia stalwart Paul Lee cemented his place among the elite players Wednesday night in winning the Best Player of the Conference plum in the 2018 PBA Governors Cup.

Lee bagged a first BPC award, thus, making a lot more special a season marked by his seventh straight PBA All-Star stint, his return to the national squad and a possible championship in the season-ending tourney.

It’s another major individual award for this Tondo native after winning the Rookie of the Year plum in 2012, a Mythical First Team citation in 2015, two Mythical Second Team memberships in 2012 and 2014 and the Finals MVP honors in the 2016 Commissioner’s Cup, all with his original team Rain or Shine.

Lee earned a first precious ware as a Hotshot in winning the 2018 Governors Cup top individual award over Alaska Milk’s Chris Banchero, San Miguel Beer’s Christian Standhardinger, Ginebra’s Japeth Aguilar and NorthPort’s Stanley Pringle.

The former UE Warrior received his trophy from PBA commissioner Willie Marcial and PBA governors Alfrancis Chua, Dickie Bachmann and Rene Pardo shortly before Game Four of the Governors Cup finals Wednesday night at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

Also taking the spotlight in the brief rites was Alaska Milk’s Mike Harris as the Best Import.

Though only fourth in the stats race behind Standhardinger, Pringle and Aguilar, Lee emerged ahead of the pack after the balloting among the media, the players and the Commissioner’s Office.

He was the runaway winner in ballots, and won the BPC race with 1,013 points as against Banchero’s 753, Standhardinger’s 659, Pringle’s 520 and Aguilar’s 398.

Harris amassed 1,209 points in the Best Import race and won over Romeo Travis (914), Justin Brownlee (679) and Allen Durham (541).

The NBA veteran was sixth from Alaska Milk to emerge as Best Import after Sean Chambers, Devin Davis, Rossell Ellis, Rob Dozier and Travis).

From the Purefoods/SanMig franchise, Lee was the fifth to win a BPC plum after Alvin Patrimonio, Jerry Codinera, Rey Evangelista and James Yap.