Putting June Mar Fajardo in perspective

There is no doubt that what June Mar Fajardo has accomplished in the Philippine Basketball Association is phenomenal.

The 6’10” Cebuano centered endured poverty and hardship before basketball found him.

As a big young kid forced to play against more mature opponents, he often wanted to quit early on.

An early and light sleeper as a teen, he even scolded his parents for watching the PBA with the volume too high.

Now, the volume is all the way up on this soft-spoken, well-mannered titan. He still gets teary-eyed and confesses regret that he is missing his parents’ aging since they are in Cebu and he plays in Metro Manila.

But the debate has been ignited: is June Mar Fajardo the greatest player to have already played in the PBA?

Nine players have won the PBA MVP Award more than once: Fajardo with five, Mon Fernandez and Alvin Patrimonio with four each, Bogs Adornado with three, and Abet Guidaben, Danny Ildefonso, Willie Miller, Benjie Paras and James Yap with two apiece. Of those nine, only Fajardo and Yap are still playing.

Realistically, this is a three-cornered debate involving Fajardo, Fernandez and Patrimonio. It is worth mentioning, though, that Adornado won his third MVP in 1981 after knee surgery, which was far less advanced then than it is now.

Let’s transpose some of the arguments used in NBA “Greatest of all time” debates, and see if they fit.

First, old-timers say that less teams meant tougher competition. The PBA has a record 12 teams, and has had as few as six.

This meant that Fernandez played the likes of Abet Guidaben, Yoyoy Villamin and Manny Victorino more frequently.

Still, when you look at it, Fajardo’s dominance is more a testament to his growth as a player and determination as a person than the PBA’s milieu. 

What may be a factor, instead, was the PBA’s handicapping system.

At one point, the league gave winning teams smaller imports, and losing teams taller imports, and even two imports.

U-tex beat Toyota in the finals in 1980 Open Conference when their imports could play simultaneously, while Toyota’s played alternately. Note that El Presidente won all his MVP Awards in the 1980’s, when the handicapping was revised or no longer in effect. That is a mitigating circumstance in this debate.

But Alvin Patrimonio was the first to win back-to-back awards. The Captain entered the league in 1988, the season Fernandez won his last MVP Award.

Alvin won in 1993 and 1994. For his part, the Purefoods forward copped the honor consecutively in 1993 and 1994.

One could argue that the surge of Fil-Am players beginning in 1998 could have deprived Alvin of one or two more MVPs. The rules on Fil-foreign player eligibility were tightened only in 2003.

But then again, only a few Fil-Ams Asi Taulava, Eric Menk, Kelly Williams and Jayjay Helterbrand among them) have been hailed MVP since then. Alvin won his fourth and last trophy in 1997, but he was succeeded by the likes of Kenneth Duremdes, Benjie Paras and Danny Ildefonso who, like Patrimonio, also won the MVP Award back to back.

Perhaps Fernandez’s achievement was more difficult because he did not have the benefit of continuity. The Franchise achieved that lofty feat while playing for Toyota, Beer Hausen, Tanduay and San Miguel Beer. Fajardo, like Patrimonio, has been with one team his entire career, San Miguel Beer.

What is unquestionable is that June Mar has won five MVPs in a row, something nobody has even come close to doing. Despite injury and the wear and tear of playing for the national team, he has been consistent in his excellence.

Look at the growing list of players who will not win an MVP because they play against June Mar, like Karl Malone, Patrick Ewing, Charles Barkley, Reggie Miller and many other casualties to Michael Jordan. We can call this the Fajardo effect. And it will be around for years to come.

Can anyone in the PBA now possibly unseat Fajardo as MVP? Frankly, it looks doubtful. First, the team has to consistently do well, and this includes getting good imports. Secondly, the player should be able to avoid injury. Third, they have to pray the Beermen don’t do well, which is highly unlikely.

So is June Mar Fajardo the PBA’s best ever? My answer is yes, but with a little room for discussion. But if he wins the MVP award again this year, there will be no discussion, just an exclamation.