THERE was hardly any surprise as San Miguel Beer's June Mar Fajardo was proclaimed Best Player of the Conference in the PBA Season 49 Philippine Cup.
Fajardo, the league's eight-time MVP, has cast a big shadow on everyone in the ongoing All-Filipino tournament, logging double-double averages of 16 points and 13.95 rebounds, that went with 3.2 assists and 1.1 blocks from the elims up to the semis as the top-seed Beermen earned the right to contend for the crown against TNT.
The 6-foot-10 Cebuano giant amassed 1,085 total points in the final tabulation for the top individual plum to run away with his record-extending 12th BPC overall. Of those dozen trophies, Fajardo won nine in the league's centerpiece competition.
"The Kraken" topped the stats race with 39.6 average statistical points, earning 489 points, then emerged as the top vote-getter from media (505) and players (91) to secure his third BPC in the last four conferences.
Fellow SMB stalwart CJ Perez finished a distant second with 704 points followed by NLEX' Robert Bolick (562), Magnolia's Zav Lucero (459) and Phoenix's Jayson Perkins (441).
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Fajardo took the spotlight in a short ceremony prior to tipoff of Game 4 of the title duel between the Beermen and the grand slam-seeking TNT Tropang 5G Sunday at the SM Mall of Asia Arena.
He received the Pocari Sweat Best Player of the Conference award from PBA Commissioner Willie Marcial, PBA Chairman Ricky Vargas, PBA Vice Chairman Alfrancis Chua, Governors Robert Non of SMB, Ronald Dulatre of NLEX, and Atty Raymund Zorilla of Phoenix, and Janeth Villarante, Product Manager of Otsuka Solar Philippines, Inc., makers of Pocari Sweat, the Official Ion Supply Drink of the PBA.
It was Fajardo's second BPC for Season 49, coming after his win in the opening Governors' Cup, in the process greatly boosting his bid for Most Valuable Player plum No. 9.(OL)
