MARK OF GREATNESS

June Mar Fajardo’s dominance in the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) is far from over.

The San Miguel Beer superstar formally added another feather in his cap when be bagged his 10th Best Player of the Conference (BPC) award ahead of Game 4 of their Philippine Cup best-of-seven finals series against Meralco Wednesday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

Fajardo’s latest recognition as the standout star in the all-Filipino conference based on statistical points (SPs) and votes from players and the media doubled his lead over TNT Tropang Giga star Jayson Castro and former San Miguel great Danny Ildefonso in the list of players who won the prestigious award multiple times.

Fajardo, a seven-time Most Valuable Player, has accumulated a total of 1,100 points built on 472 SPs, 514 media votes and 114 player votes after averaging of 17.3 points, 14.5 rebounds, 3.1 assists and 1.2 blocks per game in 17 games until the semifinal series, where the Beermen swept Rain or Shine.

He powered San Miguel to its 15th all-Filipino finals appearance, putting the league’s winningest franchise to within three wins away from clinching its 10th Philippine Cup title and 30th overall crown.

Fajardo garnered unanimous first-choice votes from the PBA Press Corps that solidified his bid for the award.

The BPC winner is decided through 45 percent average SPs, 30 percent media votes, and 25 percent players’ votes.

Terrafirma’s Stephen Holt, the top pick in the last Rookie Draft and frontrunner for the Rookie of the Year plum, finished second after garnering a total of 651 points from 448 SPs, 197 media votes, and six players’ votes after posting impressive all-around averages of 21.08 points, 8.1 rebounds, 6.3 assists, and 2.4 steals in helping the Dyip return to the playoffs for the first time since 2016.

NLEX combo guard Robert Bolick was third with 641 points built on 472 SPs, 136 media votes and 33 players’ votes.

Bolick topped the scoring department with 28.3 points per game and averaged 5.2 rebounds and 6.5 assists.

San Miguel Beer guard CJ Perez was fourth after collecting a total of 503 points from 429 SPs, 38 media votes and 36 players’ votes while Barangay Ginebra bruiser Christian Standhardinger rounded out the top five with a total of 476 points after posting 429 SPs, 21 media votes and 26 players’ votes.