June Mar Fajardo hopes to see his family after a tough PBA finals grind.
The great ones never had it easy. San Miguel superstar June Mar Fajardo is no exception.
Despite his stellar arsenal, the seven-time MVP admitted he had a hard time against the Tyler Bey-led Magnolia in the recently concluded PBA Commissioner’s Cup Finals.
That is why when the dust settled in Game Six Wednesday night as the Beermen slammed the door on the Hotshots, Fajardo could not help but feel relieved.
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“Isa ito sa pinakamahirap kasi bihira lang kaming mag-champion sa import conference. So, malaking bagay ito sa amin,” said Fajardo as he celebrated the franchise’s 29th crown after a thrilling 104-102 clincher over Magnolia.
The 6-foot-10 behemoth continued to draw double teams in the best-of-seven series.
In Game Six, Fajardo had to bleed to produce his 19-point, 12-rebound output as Hotshots big man Ian Sangalang swarmed the Cebuano ace with his defense.
Fortunately, there were plenty of help from the SMB local crew with eventual Finals MVP CJ Perez leading the assault. Jericho Cruz and Chris Ross also stepped up in the crucial stretch that saw the Beermen wipe out a 79-90 deficit en route to the title.
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“Naghahabol kami halos all the way. Sa last five minutes ng fourth quarter, doon lang kami nakahabol,” the gentle giant said. “Crucial 'yung three-points ni CJ at Chris Ross. Good thing nakuha naming 'yung championship na ito.”
Now that the ordeal is over, Fajardo could not wait to hop on a plane to Cebu to visit his loved ones and recharge before beefing up Gilas Pilipinas in the first window of the 2025 FIBA Asia Cup qualifiers later this month.
“Gusto kong umuwi kasi gusto kong bisitahin ang Mama ko, makita ang pamilya ko. Kasi after nitong Gilas, sunod naman 'yung opening ng PBA,” he said.
“Sobrang hectic ng schedule. Magpapaalam muna ako. Uwi muna ako, pakita muna kay Mama.”