The Final Score: Pingris and Fajardo — a brotherhood built on basketball, DOTA, and faith

 

Marc Pingris did not play when the Purefoods Star Hotshots faced the San Miguel Beermen on Sunday. Yet Pingris was still part of the game, still involved in what was happening on the court. Of course, he wanted to see if the Hotshots, entering the game at 0-1, could win. But as Pingris looked out for his own teammates, he was also monitoring that large presence from the other team. 

 

Secretly, or maybe not so secretly, Pingris, stuck on his seat on the Purefoods bench, cheered for San Miguel center June Mar Fajardo. Maybe Pingris covered his smile each time June Mar scored. Maybe Pingris fought the urge to cheer each time June Mar grabbed a rebound. Maybe Pingris stopped himself from jubilantly throwing a punch in the air each time June Mar blocked a shot. 

 

“Tingin ko para na sila talagang magkapatid,” Junjun Cabatu, who plays online games with Pingris and Fajardo — the third member of the famed DOTA Boys triumvirate, said. “Umabot na sila sa ganoong level. Kasi sa Gilas lagi silang magkasama. May bond kasi sila. Kahit na sa online gaming, nag-bo-bond sila through that when they’re outside the basketball court.”

 

Cabatu witnessed the growth of a relationship. The original DOTA Boys were Cabatu and Pingris, who have known each other since they were amateur basketball players. “As in parati after practice naglalaro kami,” Cabatu recalled. 

 

When Cabatu and the newcomer Fajardo played together on San Miguel’s ABL team, Cabatu discovered that Fajardo was fond of playing online games as well. Perfect. They made the duo a trio. The triumvirate, strengthened over hours of playing games like Heroes of Newerth, was born. A brotherhood began. 

 

“Tingin ko ang turning point niyan noong naglaban si June Mar and Ping (back in October 2012) and nabayagan ni Ping si June Mar then eventually na-ospital si June Mar kasi namaga yung itlog niya,” said Cabatu, remembering the collision that led to what was described as a “scrotal trauma” for Fajardo. “So we visited him. Tingin ko doon talaga nagsimula na maging close sila.”

 

There is no better way to describe the dynamic between Pingris and Fajardo. Si Ping ang kuya. By extension, si Junjun is likewise an older brother. Therefore, si June Mar ang bunso. Albeit a gigantic 6-foot-11, 275-pound bunso. 

 

Only the closest of brothers can, literally, break each other’s balls and love each other intensely afterwards because of it. But really, the way Ping looks after June Mar nowadays, an older brother - like ako panganay ako - will understand. Alagang-alaga talaga. 

 

 

Then, during one sequence when Gilas faced South Korea, Fajardo was on the free throw line. A lone figure was standing on the end of the Gilas bench, cheering, throwing his fist in the air. It was Pingris. That moment of stubbornness displayed by Pingris during the game against Iran and the moment of pure pride exhibited by Pingris during the game against Korea explained everything we needed to know about two basketball players.

 

“Kumpyansa talaga si Ping kay June Mar,” Cabatu shared. “Siguro experience-wise kulang pa din siguro si June Mar. Pero what June Mar needs is positive support. Kasi he has everything, post moves, perimeter shooting. I remember after they won over Senegal, nag-hang-out kami ni Ping sa bahay niya and si Ping talaga was all praises for June Mar. As in bukang-bibig niya the whole time si June Mar. June Mar wasn’t there pero the whole time si Ping was, ‘Kaya talaga ni June Mar.’ Ganoon kalaki tiwala niya kay June Mar.”

 

Ping and June Mar – don’t they represent what Gilas symbolizes? It’s a brand of hard-headedness. It’s about joint persistence. It’s about trust. It’s about believing in each other no matter what. Like brothers. As in bahala na kung magalit si erpats. The bond is that strong. 

 

“Ping really teaches June Mar to fight in every game,” Cabatu said. “Ping is really like that eh. He’s not really a scorer but he fights hard during every possession. Kahit pag-nag-aasaran sila, na si Ping may Grand Slam na and si June Mar is still looking for his first championship, it’s Ping’s way of giving advice. Kahit pabiro, may lesson.”

 

Against the Purefoods Star Hotshots, Fajardo tallied 22 points, 16 total rebounds, 8 offensive rebounds, 6 blocks, 1 assist, 1 steal and not a single error in 38 minutes. 

 

After all, “Kaya naman niya eh.” 

 

The Beermen won. The Hotshots lost. Yet someone on the Purefoods bench, someone who wears number 15 just like June Mar, someone who believes in June Mar perhaps more intensely than anyone else in the PBA, someone who looks at June Mar like a hulking younger brother, must have been secretly, or maybe not so secretly, really proud. — JST, GMA News