June Mar Fajardo wins 8th PBA MVP award

June Mar Fajardo further etched his legacy in Philippine basketball history, capturing another Most Valuable Player award for Season 48 during the PBA Leo Awards on Sunday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum. 

The 6-foot-10 bruiser has now won his record-extending eighth top individual honor in 12 years in the league or since when he was drafted as top overall pick during the 2012 Rookie Draft by the same franchise. 

A 10-time PBA champion, Fajardo won his 10th Best the Player of the Conference during the Season 48 Philippine Cup, where he edged his teammate CJ Perez, Terrafirma's Stephen Holt, Robert Bolick of NLEX, and former Barangay Ginebra banger Christian Standhardinger.

This is also the second straight edition that Fajardo will claim the MVP plum after being given the same award in Season 47. Before that, the 34-year-old veteran won the MVP recognition from 2014 to 2019.

Fajardo was also included in the All-Defensive Team that featured Cliff Hodge of Meralco, Kemark Cariño of Terrafirma, Joshua Munzon of NorthPort, and Chris Newsome of Meralco. 

He was also named to the First Mythical Team alongside Christian Standhardinger, Arvin Tolentino, CJ Perez, and Newsome. Stephen Holt, who played his first season with Terrafirma before transferring to Barangay Ginebra, won the Rookie of the Year award while Paul Zamar copped the Samboy Lim Sportsmanship Award. 

Jhonard Clarito of Rain or Shine, meanwhile, pocketed the Most Improved Player honor. 

The Second Mythical Team was composed of Hodge, Jason Perkins, Calvin Oftana, Juami Tiongson, and Holt. 

READ MORE | PBA 48th Season Leo Awardees

—JKC, GMA Integrated News