Six-foot-10 Cebuano giant June Mar Fajardo was never a man of many words, even when he was just starting out as a gangly and bumbling neophyte with the University of Cebu Webmasters.
Now, fully-grown, a few dozen pounds heavier and a million post moves wiser, Fajardo remains the same and managed this one word when asked what his expectations were heading to the new season of the PBA.
“Dominate.”
With the quiet confidence of a man who shocked the rest of the country with his dominance in the recent PBA Governor’s Cup finals wherein he tuned up his defenders to averages of 18 points and 14 rebounds in the seven-game series won by San Mig Coffee, the man in the middle for the Petron Blaze Boosters is steadily on track to living up to his lofty billing as “the future of Philippine basketball.”
“Wala na man lain choice. Wala ta kabalo kung kanus-a pa ko makabalik sa finals so gihatag jud nako tanan nakong mahatag ato na series. Di ko gusto na mahuman to na series nga naa pa koy pagmahay sa ako duwa,” Fajardo said of his sterling performance in the finals.
Home for a week’s worth of rest after finishing his first season as a pro with norms of 16.2 points, 10.3 rebounds and 1.2 blocks in 27 minutes of action, Fajardo – affably known as “Abai” to friends and family – is looking forward to an explosive encore to his rookie year.
“Pahuway sa ko diri sa Cebu. Lahi ra jud diri kay presko ang hangin. Pero bag-o rako natagaan ug DVD nga puro post moves so I have to go and practice those,” said Fajardo with the enthusiasm of a kid who is just coming into his own in this grown man’s game. Truth be told, Fajardo is exactly that – a student of the game learning new lessons under the tutelage of the professor of “raise the roof,” two-time PBA MVP, Danny Ildefonso.
“Si Danny jud ang nakaingon aning duwa nako ron. Siya ang mag-sige ug guide nako didto sa Manila. Sauna, paghuman sa practice, uli na dayun ko. Karon, ganahan na kaayu ko mag extra work. Magpatudlo ko niya ug mga moves,” narrated Fajardo.
Ildefonso’s influence upon the 24-year old goes beyond the court as the former even goes on to advice Fajardo on the quiet yet significant facets of a basketball player’s life such as his diet.
“Sauna, human ug practice, dagan jud dayun ko ana padung sa luyo sa Ultra kay mukaon ug papait. Pagkahibalo niya, gikasab-an jud ko niyag maayu kay bawal jud daw nang mga pagkaon na makapataas sa uric acid.”
NEW CHALLENGES
With the new season comes new players and new challenges, the most unmistakable of which is the arrival of fellow Cebuano big man, the 7-foot Greg Slaughter, who was this year’s top draft pick by the Brgy. Ginebra Kings. The rivalry between the two go way back, with their legendary battles in the Cebu Schools Athletic Foundation, Inc. (Cesafi) where Fajardo was UC’s pillar and Slaughter was the University of the Visayas’ main man.
Though Fajardo says that he has unfinished business with his loss to Slaughter and the rest of the Green Lancers in 2009, he prefers to downplay the rivalry and sees to it that it’s a Petron vs. Ginebra thing and not a personal affair.
“Dili man ni about sa amoa ni Slaughter. Naa man mi daghan teammates pud,” Fajardo explained.
Fajardo also could not help but express his surprise at the continued rigodon of players at his team, the latest of which brought point guard Chris Ross. “Sige lang mi ug usab ug players. Bag-o na sad systema. Pero mao lage, dili man mi makabuot ana kay it’s management’s call.”
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