The best of the best were recognized on Friday.
San Miguel Beermen ace CJ Perez just made a prophet out of June Mar Fajardo.
Before the PBA Commissioner’s Cup Finals, Fajardo predicted Perez could win the Best Player of the Conference award at the rate things are going.
Perez did.
In a brief ceremony ushering in Game Four of the Finals between the Beermen and Magnolia Chicken Timplados Hotshots, the spitfire guard hoisted his first BPC plum at the Smart-Araneta Coliseum on Friday.
He edged out Brgy. Ginebra San Miguel big man Christian Standhardinger, who actually led the BPC race after the semifinals.
Unfortunately for the 6-foot-8 Fil-German, the Beermen blanked his Gin Kings in the best-of-five series.
Perez garnered a total of 1055 points, including 505 and 86 from the media and players' votes, respectively. Standhardinger had 777.
Also in the race for the top individual award were NorthPort Batang Pier's Arvin Tolentino (559), TNT Tropang Giga's young star Calvin Oftana (472), and Ginebra's Scottie Thompson (446).
Meanwhile, Johnathan Williams emerged as the Best Import.
This came after he averaged 24.5 points, 16.4 rebounds, 5.2 assists, and 1.6 blocks in steering a youthful Phoenix Super LPG Fuel Masters to a surprise semifinals appearance. Phoenix ran out of gas in the best-of-five series, though.
He bested San Miguel’s Bennie Boatwright, Tyler Bey of Magnolia, and Ginebra's Tony Bishop for the honor after tallying 1017 points. Not far behind were Bey and Boatwright, who garnered 908 and 878, respectively.
Williams was the first reinforcement who won the award without making the Finals since Meralco Bolts' Arinze Onuaku in the 2016 Commissioner's Cup.