Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, November 8) — The greatest of all time or GOAT debate is always an interesting discussion in sports.
In the local pro basketball scene, one particular player is making a strong case for himself to be called the best ever.
June Mar Fajardo recently won his seventh Most Valuable Player (MVP) award in the PBA, a feat that may never be replicated or surpassed in this lifetime.
Since being selected first overall in the 2012 PBA Draft by the then-Petron Blaze Boosters, the 6-foot-10 Cebuano big man helped the San Miguel Corporation franchise capture nine championships.
Fajardo also has nine Best Player of the Conference honors, eight Mythical First Team nods, a Defensive Player of the Year plum, and eight All Star selections.
All these recognitions further cement his case as the best of the best in the league but expectedly, the soft-spoken superstar said the legends who came before him deserve the GOAT distinction.
“There are many players who are better than me, those who played before me,” he told CNN Philippines’ Sports Desk on Tuesday.
Ever humble, Fajardo mentioned some hardcourt icons who he thought belonged to that rarefied air.
“Ramon Fernandez, Alvin Patrimonio, Danny Ildefonso. They are the greatest,” he said.
Fernandez and Patrimonio are the closest to Fajardo in terms of MVP awards with four apiece.
Fajardo gave credit to his San Miguel teammates, who, he said, enabled him to win the individual honors.
“I did not expect to win these many awards. I’m blessed because I’m in San Miguel and my teammates are the reason why I won the MVP,” he said.
