JUNE Mar Fajardo is on cloud nine after collecting yet another MVP award, bolstering his claim to the GOAT (greatest of all time) title in the PBA.
Not bad for someone who as a kid didn't even dream about making it big in basketball.
On the day he beat Robert Bolick of NLEX and Arvin Tolentino for the award in the 49th season, the 35-year old marvelled at how someone who as a kid wasn't even fond of playing basketball can be this successful.
“Sinong mag-aakala na isang bata na hindi man lang mahilig mag-basketball pero nandito at mananalo ng nine MVPs. Kahit ako, hindi ko naiisip na aabot dito,” the San Miguel superstar said in his acceptance speech.
READ June Mar is the best once more after winning ninth PBA MVP award
The 6-foot-10 Fajardo has always been unusually tall, even in his childhood, and that wasn’t always a good thing for him. Because he was the biggest, Fajardo bared that he was sometimes bullied by other kids in his hometown of Pinamungajan, Cebu,
Never did he expect that his height would change his life and that of his family - and turn him into one of the best basketball players the Philippines has ever produced.
“Dati, sobrang hate ko ‘yung height ko kasi ako ‘yung pinakamatangkad, lagi akong binu-bully. ‘Yun pala, na-realize ko, [ito pala] ang ultimate gift na binigay ni God sa akin," Fajardo said.
"‘Yung height ko pala ang magbabago sa buhay ko, buhay ng family ko, buhay ng mga tao sa paligid ko. Hindi talaga natin mape-predict ‘yung buhay,” Fajardo added.
Fajardo said basketball only came into his life after University of Cebu recruited him with a college scholarship as bait -something his family couldn’t afford at that time.
“Dati hindi naman ako mahilig mag-basketball. Growing up, wala ‘yung basketball. Hindi ko talaga iniisip. Pero dahil hindi afford ng parents ko ‘yung college, kailangan ko gamitin ‘yung height ko para makapag-aral ako. Para i-keep ako ng school, kailangan ko mag-improve,” said Fajardo.
Fajardo, at this point in his career, has shown no signs of slowing down and a 10th MVP looked a given at the end of the season.
But he insisted that isn't the goal.
"Pag ‘yun ang goal ko, hindi ko na iisipin ‘yung mga teammates ko, baka sarili ko na iisipin ko. Baka magbuwakaw na ako kasi may goal ako eh, kailangan ko makakuha ng pang-sampu. Pero hindi ‘yun ang goal ko,” said Fajardo.
“Ang nag-wowork sa team ko, ‘yun ang gagawin ko. Kung darating ‘yun, darating ‘yun,” he added.
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