BEST Player of the Conference. Finals MVP. Governors' Cup champion.
And now PBA MVP.
Barangay Ginebra's Scottie Thompson got the perfect ending to a stellar campaign in Season 46 as he was crowned MVP to loud cheers during Sunday's The Leo's Awards at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
Thompson, the do-it-all guard whose star shone during the two-conference season, cracked the elite club of PBA MVPs in his sixth year with Asia's first play-for-pay league.
"Hindi ako makapaniwala; early stage ng career ko binigay sa akin ni God itong MVP," said Thompson after succeeding six-time winner June Mar Fajardo of San Miguel Beer as the alpha dog of the PBA.
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The 28-year-old Thompson amassed 2,836 points from stats and votes from players, media and the PBA to beat TnT's Mikey Williams (1,332), NorthPort's Robert Bolick (1,295) and Magnolia's Calvin Abueva (10,66) for the top individual plum.
"It means a lot to me. Yung hardwork, yung nangyari sa buhay ko ang dami on and off the court pero na-manage ko career ko. Through hardwork, discipline and faith kay God, andito ako ngayon, nakuha ko ito. So sobrang blessed," he said.
Thompson led the Mythical First Team, where he was joined by Williams, Abueva, Fajardo and NorthPort's Arwind Santos.
Bolick headlined the Mythical Second Team in the company of SMB's CJ Perez, Ginebra's Christian Standhardinger, Phoenix's Matthew Wright, and Magnolia's Ian Sangalang.
Williams was adjudged Rookie of the Year.
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Also getting their share of the limelight in the awards rites that was led by Commissioner Willie Marcial and the board of governors led by chairman Ricky Vargas of TnT were Juami Tiongson of Terrafirma, who was feted with the Most Improved Player award, the group of Meralco's Cliff Hodge, Santos, TnT's Kelly Williams, Magnolia's Jio Jalalon and SMB's Chris Ross, who composed the All-Defensive Team, and NLEX's Kevin Alas, who received the Sportsmanship Award. (OL)
