June Mar Fajardo wins PBA Best Player anew; RHJ is Best Import

TNT Tropang Giga import Rondae Hollis Jefferson and San Miguel Beermen star June Mar Fajardo get their 2024 PBA Governors’ Cup Best Import and Best Player awards ahead of PBA Finals Game 4. –MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net

San Miguel cornerstone June Mar Fajardo has widened the gulf between him and the PBA’s stars once again, tabbing the Governors’ Cup Best Player of the Conference award—the 11th of his spectacular career.

Fajardo, the league’s 8-time and reigning Most Valuable Player edged out Barangay Ginebra standouts Japeth Aguilar and former MVP Scottie Thompson with a total of 989 points built on 465 statistical points, 476 from the media, and 48 votes from the players.

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READ: June Mar Fajardo extends record with 8th PBA MVP

“I’ve never really thought how much I’ve achieved,” the Cebuano big man said in Filipino.

“In my head I’ve accomplished nothing.” Asked if he has grown tired of collecting awards, had a much more assertive response: “As long as I’m still here playing, I’ll give the game whatever I could.”

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The PBA’s GOAT talks about winning his 11th Best Player of the Conference award. @INQUIRERSports pic.twitter.com/5zlofySTpS

— Rommel Fuertes Jr. (@MeloFuertesINQ) November 3, 2024

TNT’s Jayson Castro and San Miguel legend Danny Ildefonso are the only two closest to Fajardo, winning the plum five times throughout their respective careers.

READ: PBA: June Mar Fajardo carries San Miguel on his back en route to semis

Meanwhile, Tropang Giga import Rondae Hollis-Jefferson captured his second Best Import award. The former Brooklyn Nets forward beat crowd darling and naturalized Filipino Justin Brownlee garnering 1,221 points on 663 SPs, 491 media votes and 67 player nods.

With the feat, Hollis-Jefferson thus became the second TNT import to win Best Import twice after Jerald Honeycutt did just that 19 years ago during the 2005 Fiesta Conference.