IT was the most dominant run in Philippine basketball. Six consecutive MVPs. While it's more competitive in the NBA, the fact remains that Michael Jordan, LeBron James, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar or Larry Bird ever had that kind of run.
Side note: Here again lies the flaw of MVP voting. For more than a decade, it's clear that Michael Jordan and LeBron James were the best players in the NBA. There was even a proposal that the MVP award should belong to Michael Jordan by default, unless someone has a more dominant season to take it away from him. Voter fatigue is real, and the NBA would not be as appealing if just one player won the MVP award for that long. However, the logic did not apply to June Mar Fajardo in the PBA.
June Mar's MVP awards were hardly questionable, and there were no strong arguments against him. From 2014 to the pandemic, Fajardo was the most dominant player, and consequently, San Miguel Beer was the most successful team in that span.
Fajardo did have a "Death 5" with him which is probably the textbook definition of a perfect basketball team, but they would not be half as effective without JMF. This was seen in the "Beeracle" of the 2016 Philippine Cup Finals against Alaska, where the Beermen lost the first three games to Alaska without Fajardo. They barely scraped through Game 4 in overtime, but then the reigning MVP steps in, they win the next three and the title. These are simply undeniable facts.
Vulnerable Abai
In their first defeat of the Conference, Fajardo only clocked in 7 points, and seemed very vulnerable amid the swarming defense employed by the Converge FiberXers. No surprise, since Converge coach Aldin Ayo is the proponent of "mayhem" defense. He used that in Letran, La Salle and UST.
It's not the first time teams employed a hard double team on June Mar. He is usually able to find a way out, whether scoring or passing to a teammate. In Saturday's game, the six-time MVP looked panicky and confused.
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It may be an overreaction to one game, but has Father Time and plantar fasciitis caught up to our venerated gentle giant? Have we seen the last of MVP June Mar? We know it will come eventually, but are we already witnessing the end of his dominant reign?
Fajardo will still be our main big for Gilas in the 4th window, where Kai Sotto is reportedly not playing. It could be a litmus test since he will be up against the bigs of Lebanon and Jordan — some are taller or bigger than he is.
SMB fan or not, Filipinos want more of Fajardo, but he has to adjust his game, and his team, be it the Beermen or Gilas, may need to find another anchor for their offense.
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