CJ Perez 'grateful, blessed' as awards come in

CJ Perez has been on a roll lately.

Last Friday, the San Miguel Beermen star won his first Best Player of the Conference award. Just days after, San Miguel on Wednesday clinched the PBA Commissioner's Cup title, with him being the Most Valuable Player of the Finals series.

"I never dream about sa sariling awards. Parang it's just coming na lang," Perez said in a press conference after San Miguel's 104-102 Game 6 win against Magnolia.

"I'm just grateful, I am so blessed na dumarating siya ngayon and now we'll never stop working."

(I never dream about individual awards. It's just coming. I'm just grateful, I am so blessed that these come and now, we'll never stop working.)

Aside from bagging the top individual awards of the recently concluded conference, Perez was also part of the Gilas Pilipinas squads which reclaimed the Southeast Asian Games gold in May and won the Asian Games gold medal in October, a member of last season's PBA First Mythical Team, and was named as the PBA Press Corps Scoring Champion last November.

For Perez, he just keeps on grabbing opportunities in front of him.

"Sobrang saya ko na nakakasama ako sa mga ganito, like sa national team. 'Di ko naman in-expect na makakasama ako doon pero pinangarap ko rin talaga," Perez told the media after San Miguel's 104-102 Game 6 win against Magnolia.

"Habang bata pa talagang binibigay ko 'yung makakaya ko. Minsan lang dumating sa buhay 'yan so dapat i-grab mga opportunity."

(I am very happy I am getting these kinds of experience, like the national team. I did not expect to be a part of that but I really dreamt of it. While I'm still young, I will give everything I can. These opportunities come rarely so these need to be grabbed.)

With all these awards coming in, what lies ahead for Perez?

"Next conference, championship ulit sana," Perez said. "'Yun ang isang idadagdag ko sa goal ko and listahan ko."

(Next conference, probably another championship. That's one I would like in my list.)

Perez was also part of the San Miguel squad which won the PBA Philippine Cup title in 2022.

—JKC, GMA Integrated News