HANDS down, June Mar Fajardo serves as the barometer of big men in the PBA.
Poy Erram of TnT Katropa pointed out how the 6-foot-10 San Miguel star has raised the standard among slotmen in the league behind his dominant plays that no one is seemed close enough of challenging him.
The record will bear him out: Eight-time champion, including five Philippine Cup titles, MVP winner the last six seasons, three-time Finals MVP, eighth-time Best Player of the Conference, six-time Mythical First Team, five-time All-Defensive Team member, Defensive Player of the Year, and a seven-time All-Star.
All these the 30-year-old pride of Cebu achieved in just less than a decade of playing in Asia's pioneering pro league.
"Sa lahat ng big man sa PBA, siya (June Mar) yung barrier kasi siya lang ang six-time MVP. Honestly lahat ng big man we strive hard para maging ka-level niya," said Erram.
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"Pero I think never na mangyayari yun."
Erram was acquired by TnT Katropa in a three-team trade just before the new season began specifically to address the team's vulnerability in the middle.
It was a move too, obviously for the Katropa to have an answer against Fajardo's dominance.
Erram, also a former Defensive Player of the Year and one-time Mythical Second Team member, is not one to back down from a challenge.
But he definitely knows Fajardo is one huge mountain to conquer.
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"Lahat ng mga bata gustong mapantayan yun," he said. "(Pero) greatest player siya na nakilala ko."
Fajardo has also endeared himself to Erram and the rest of the league for being humble and soft spoken despite his stature as among the greatest to play in the league.(RG)
