JUNE Mar Fajardo spent Christmas and New Year for the very first time without her late mother.
But he always had her memory in every game the San Miguel star plays.
As tribute to her Mommy Marites, the 6-foot-10 Fajardo had the words MA MA written in big, bold letters on the outer soles of his playing sneakers.
Fajardo said he first did it during the Bacolor bubble while the Beermen were in the middle of their campaign in the 2021 PBA Philippine Cup.
The elder Fajardo died last August in her native Cebu.
“Lahat ng mga shoes ko may nakalagay na MA MA sa likod,” said the six-time MVP, who has been known to be very close to his mother. “Nilagyan ko yung iba nung bubble pa last conference.”
Fajardo intends to hold the tradition from here on as his way of honoring the memory of his mother.
“Lahat ng shoes ko na panlaro lalagyan ko,” he said.
So far, Fajardo and the Beermen regained lost ground following a slow start to their bid in the all-Filipino conference.
The team has won its last three outings after starting out with an 0-2 record.
The Beermen will resume their campaign on Jan. 8 against the Phoenix Super LPG.
Get more of the latest sports news & updates on SPIN.ph