As if scripted by fate, June Mar Fajardo became the very first recipient of the Ramon Fernandez PBA Finals MVP award—handed to him by the legend himself.
The 36-year-old San Miguel cornerstone saved his most dominant performance for last, erupting for 29 points and 23 rebounds as San Miguel Beer subdued TNT Tropang 5G, 92-77, to retain the Philippine Cup crown Sunday night before 14,201 fans at the Mall of Asia Arena.
Across the six-game Finals, Fajardo averaged 19.7 points, 18.3 rebounds, 1.7 assists, and 1.0 blocks—numbers that left little room for debate. The league’s only nine-time MVP was the unanimous choice for the award, earning a record fifth Finals MVP and further cementing his place in Philippine Basketball Association history.
For Fajardo, however, this one carried a deeper meaning.
“Isang karangalan na makakuha ng championship tapos Finals MVP, si Don Ramon pa yung nag-abot ng trophy at sa kanya pa ito naka-pangalan,” he said. “Isang karangalan. For sure, nasa itaas ito ng trophy case ko.”
The moment was made even more special with Ramon Fernandez, now 72, personally presenting the gold-plated “elegant shot” trophy named in his honor by the PBA Press Corps. Fernandez, who won a record 19 championships during his storied career, was accompanied by his wife Karla Kintanar for the series-clinching Game 6.
“It’s a big honor, and truly proud and humbled by this trophy na ginawa ninyo para sa akin para sa MVP of the Finals,” Fernandez said, before being given the privilege of announcing the winner himself.
“Ang akong silingan sa Cebu, si June Mar Fajardo,” Fernandez declared, drawing thunderous cheers from the San Miguel faithful.
The award marked Fajardo’s fourth Finals MVP in the Philippine Cup—adding to his wins in 2017, 2019, and 2022—and his fifth overall, including his 2015 Governors’ Cup triumph. With that, he now stands alone atop the Finals MVP leaderboard, moving past LA Tenorio, Danny Seigle, and James Yap, who each won the honor four times.
From Cebuano protégé to the standard-bearer of PBA greatness, Fajardo’s latest trophy is not just another accolade—it is a symbolic passing of the torch, now enshrined at the very top of his collection.