June Mar Fajardo: RELEASE THE KRAKEN!

Since his stint with the Filipino team in the recent FIBA Asia Championships here in Manila, June Mar Fajardo has been a force to reckon with in the PBA. He even won the MVP! Unknown to most of us, the man known as the Kraken has not been this dominant at the start of his career.

Fajardo has been touted as the best rookie of the 2012 draft class. He was a monster during his high school days at the CESAFI tournament in Cebu. His primary rival there was none other than Greg Slaughter, the top center of Barangay Ginebra today. True to predictions, Fajardo was picked first by Petron, because frankly, 6’10 big men are hard to see nowadays.

However, things did not immediately click in place for the Cebuano big man. It wasn’t what many people expected to be. He did not immediately impact the league. Even after a strong Governor’s Cup play, he did not achieve the Rookie of the Year award, losing to Alaska forward Calvin Abueva.

But then came what turned out to be a turning point in his career. Danny Ildefonso, the former prized center of the San Miguel franchise, took the Kraken under his wing. June Mar then blossomed into a full-fledged center, an intimidating silhouette in the low block. He cashed in 20+ points and 15+ rebounds in every outing.

His stay with the Gilas program also helped him tremendously. Even though he was reduced to a bench-warmer in the Philippine squad, numerous practices with then-naturalized center Marcus Douthit became a factor for June Mar.

After an impressive 2014 season, Fajardo finally received his first hardware: the coveted MVP trophy. By that time, “The Kraken” was practically impossible to stop. Give him single coverage, he’ll dominate you. Put a double or triple team on him, he’ll still score or find an open man. No wonder Coach Chot Reyes decided to include June Mar in his final 12-man roster at the grandest basketball stage of all, the FIBA World Cup.

Of course, the detractors pounced at Fajardo’s ineptness at the international stage. They said “Di uubra yan sa FIBA!” “Bangko lang uli yan!” (He won’t be effective in FIBA! He’ll be a bench-warmer again!) For some reason, I also felt that way.

But my oh my! Fajardo proved his detractors wrong in the World Cup. He showed the Filipinos and the world that he can play ball against top-tier big men. He fought for the loose balls, challenged every shot, and tried to grab every rebound that came his way. Heck, he ranked among the most efficient of all players in the FIBA World Cup. In case you’re wondering, the most efficient player was none other than Spain’s Pau Gasol.

Then came the game against the Senegalese. By that time, the Philippines was out of contention for a playoff spot. They were merely playing for pride. Without key players such as Marc Pingris, Ranidel de Ocampo, and Jayson Castro, and Andray Blatche succumbing to foul trouble, June Mar Fajardo stepped up to the plate. He nearly recorded his first international double-double, finishing with 15 points and 8 rebounds en route to an 81-79 overtime win. It was the Philippines’ first win in the World Cup after 40 years.

Truly, June Mar Fajardo  has cemented his spot at the roster. Its just a matter of how will he improve to be better. By then, the Philippines will already be ready to RELEASE THE KRAKEN! (GS)