June Mar Fajardo, sustaining a dominant pace not seen in the league in its first four decades, stretched his record reign as PBA Most Valuable Player to a fourth straight year, shining brightest among the season achievers bestowed honors in the 2017 PBA Leo Awards at the Smart Araneta Coliseum Friday night.
Fajardo led the 2016-17 PBA season honor rolls and thus joined legends Ramon Fernandez and Alvin Patrimonio in an elite list of four-time PBA MVP awardees in an amazing, quick pace.
The San Miguel Beer prized catch from Cebu collected four MVP trophies in his first five years in the pro league.
After losing the Rookie of the Year award to Calvin Abueva of Alaska Milk in 2013, Fajardo rose to the very top the following year and has been the league's premier player since then.
Fernandez, the original barometer of greatness in the league, harvested his four MVP plums over a period of 13 years, the last with San Miguel Beer in 1988. He bagged his first three MVP trophies in 1982 with Toyota, 1984 with Beer Hausen and 1986 with Tanduay.
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Meanwhile, Patrimonio, the biggest PBA star in the 90s, completed his own quadruple MVP feat in nine years, winning the coveted individual award in 1991, 1993, 1994 and 1997 all with Purefoods.
Both Fernandez and Patrimonio have long been expressing belief Fajardo would break their marks and set new standard especially with the 6-foot-11 giant only at 27 years old.
Just like in 2014, 2015 and 2016, Fajardo won the MVP race in runaway fashion.
He bagged his latest ware, winning over teammates Alex Cabagnot and Chris Ross.
