 |
| PBA |
By Ivan Saldajeno
QUEZON CITY--Junemar Fajardo is once again the PBA's best player of the season.
The San Miguel Beerman headlined this year's Leo Award winners anew by capturing four individual honors including a second straight Most Valuable Player award during the awarding ceremonies at the Smart Araneta Coliseum on Friday night, right before his team goes for a sweep of the PBA Governors' Cup Finals against Alaska.
The 6-10 center garnered a total of 3,227 points to edge out Talk 'n Text's Jayson Castro and Ginebra's Greg Slaughter for the MVP plum.
The three players, on the other hand, led the Mythical First Team along with Rain Or Shine's Paul Lee and Fajardo's teammate Arwind Santos.
Fajardo also took home the Sportsmanship Award, prevailing over Lee and Alaska's JVee Casio.
Fajardo capped his four-award haul by joining teammate Chris Ross, Alaska's Calvin Abueva and Ping Exciminiano, and Rain Or Shine's Gabe Norwood in the All-Defensive Team.
Meanwhile, 2014 first pick Stanley Pringle of GlobalPort took home the Rookie of the Year after making the Mythical Second Team.
Pringle beat Talk 'n Text's Matt Rosser, Blackwater's Brian Heruela, Alaska's Chris Banchero, and Barako Bull's Jake Pascual for the top freshman award.
A ruling says that a first-year player will automatically win the Rookie of the Year plum if he will be the only freshman in any of the mythical teams. The other candidates were not selected to the mythical teams.
Teammate Terrence Romeo joined Pringle in the Second Team alongside Abueva, Talk 'n Text's Ranidel De Ocampo, and NLEX's Asi Taulava.
For his part, Romeo defeated Meralco's Cliff Hodge, Barako Bull's J.C. Intal, and Alaska's Vic Manuel for the Most Improved Player honor.
.jpg)
