Junemar Fajardo receives the Most Valuable Player Award during the annual Philippine Basketball Association- Leo Awards as the PBA Season 49 commences at the Smart Araneta Coliseum on August 18, 2024. Mark Demayo, ABS-CBN News
MANILA (UPDATED) — June Mar Fajardo just continues to raise the bar higher and higher.
The San Miguel Beermen superstar is once again named the PBA Most Valuable Player (MVP) for Season 48, with the 6-foot-10 behemoth earning the league's top individual plum for the eighth time in his career.
He averaged 17.8 points, a league-best 13.4 rebounds, 2.8 assists, and 1.7 blocks in SMB's stellar campaign that saw them win the Commissioner's Cup championship as well as a Finals appearance in the season-ending Philippine Cup.
He bested teammate CJ Perez and former Barangay Ginebra San Miguel star Christian Standhardinger.
READ: Do MVP awards still excite eight-time winner June Mar Fajardo?
On the other hand, former TerraFirma Dyip ace Stephen Holt is the previous year's Rookie of the Year.
The 6-foot-4 Holt, who was recently traded to Barangay Ginebra, averaged 17.0 markers, 6.9 boards, 5.5 dimes, and 1.9 steals in Season 48. He was the main gun in the Dyip clinching their first quarterfinals appearance in eight years.
They even scored a win against Fajardo and the Beermen in their quarters faceoff wherein SMB was coming in with a twice-to-beat advantage.
Meanwhile, Fajardo is joined by Standhardinger, Perez, NorthPort's Arvin Tolentino, and Meralco's Chris Newsome in the Mythical First Team.
Holt, TerraFirma's Juami Tiongson, Meralco's Cliff Hodge, and TNT's Calvin Oftana, Phoenix's Jason Perkins are the Mythical Second Team members.
In other individual awards, Rain Or Shine's Jhonard Clarito is the Most Improved Player, while NorthPort's Paul Zamar received the Sportsmanship Award.
Lastly, the All-Defensive Team comprises Fajardo, Hodge, Newsome, NorthPort's Joshua Munzon, and TerraFirma's Kenmark Carino.
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