OFTEN the most dominant guy on the court, 12-time PBA Best Player of the Conference awardee June Mar Fajardo is also the coolest.
The San Miguel big man believes in-game emotions should end the moment the final buzzer sounds –no grudges, no drama.
It’s how the ‘Gentle Giant’ keeps the peace and the group chats alive.
READ Ross, Jericho embrace Boss Al's advice to 'play with emotion'
With Game 5 of the PBA Philippine Cup Finals on deck and San Miguel holding a 3-1 lead over TNT in the best-of-seven series, tension is in the air. But on Fajardo’s end, it’s all cool as he stays calm and focused.
“Ang iniisip ko lang naman, magkakaibigan kami sa labas ng court. Pero iba ang usapan sa loob, kalaban sila, kaya gagawin namin ang best namin lagi,” Fajardo told SPIN.ph, sharing how he treats players he considers as close friends in this grueling series.
He added with a smile, “Mahirap talaga pag kaibigan mo, pero trabaho namin ’yun eh. Kaya after, walang bad vibes, batian na ulit. Naglalaro pa nga kami ng games minsan, Call of Duty, ganon.”
Fajardo finds his post-game reset through gaming, often streaming under his Ahos Gaming channel whenever time allows. At times, his on-court rivals become online teammates or targets in the virtual battleground.
“Para sa akin, sa trabaho naming ’to, may maha-heartbreak ka talaga. Naiintindihan namin ’yun,” he said.
And some of those heartbreakers? He and players from other teams, like TNT's Calvin Oftana, will soon be teammates again when they don the same colors for Gilas Pilipinas in the FIBA Asia Cup qualifiers in Jeddah next month.
For now, though, Fajardo and the Beermen are locked in with a win away from another Philippine Cup glory.
Get more of the latest sports news & updates on SPIN.ph
NOTICE ON UNAUTHORIZED AND UNLAWFUL USE, PUBLICATION, AND/OR DISSEMINATION OF SPIN.PH CONTENT: Please be notified that any unauthorized and unlawful use, publication, and/or dissemination of Spin.ph’s content and/or materials is a direct violation of its legal and exclusive rights to the same, and shall be subject to appropriate legal action/s.
