JUNE MAR FAJARDO is on the brink of history as the San Miguel Beer center again led the Most Valuable Player (MVP) derby.
The 6-foot-10 Fajardo topped the season average statistics points (SPs) with 39.5, while TNT Katropa Jayson Castro emerged as the top player who could deny the Beerman the honor, as the Katropa guard ran second with 34.7 SPs after the quarterfinal round of the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) Governors’ Cup.
Fajardo, who will turn 27 on November 17, could join PBA Hall of Famer William “Bogs” Adornado on the elite list of players who won three MVP trophies. Ramon Fernandez and Alvin Patrimonion have four MVP awards each.
Fajardo is one of the league’s two-time MVPs—Alberto Guidaben, Benjie Paras, Danny Ildefonso, Willie Miller and James Yap. He could hasten his chances of retaining the MVP award if he leads the Beermen to the finals of the Governors’ Cup. San Miguel is playing Barangay Ginebra San Miguel in the best-of-five semifinal series.
The 30-year-old Castro has yet to win an MVP award but has been part of the Mythical Team in the past three seasons. He is leading the Best Player of the Conference award with Fajardo at close second.
Castro’s team is also in the semifinals against Meralco. They begin their own semifinal series on Tuesday.
Also in the top 5 of the MVP race are GlobalPort’s Terrence Romeo (33.5 SPs), Alaska’s do-it-all forward Calvin Abueva (32.1) and Batang Pier playmaker Stanley Pringle (31.2).
Completing the top 10 are Fajardo’s teammate Arwind Santos (29.07), NLEX’s Sean Anthony (29.06), Barangay Ginebra San Miguel’s Japeth Aguilar (29), Beermen southpaw guard Alex Cabagnot (28.6) and 42-year-old NLEX center Asi Taulava (28.2).
In the Rookie of the Year race, it will be a dog fight between TNT Katropa’s Troy Rosario (23.5) and Meralco’s Chris Newsome (23.4).
Running third for the best freshman award is Blackwater’s Art de la Cruz (20.4), while Rain or Shine’s Maverick Ahanmisi (19.8) and top pick Moala Tautuaa (19.3) of Katropa are in fourth and fifth spots, respectively.