San Miguel center June Mar Fajardo celebrates after winning the All-Filipino Cup. PBA Images.

MANILA – Over two years since he suffered a gruesome leg injury, June Mar Fajardo has regained his place as the best player in the PBA.

The San Miguel center earned Best Player of the Conference honors in the 2022 PBA Philippine Cup, then led the Beermen to the championship. In their title-clinching Game 7 win against the TNT Tropang GIGA, he put up 19 points, 18 rebounds and five assists, while making eight of his 11 field goals.

He was fittingly named the Finals MVP, having averaged 19.0 points, 16.6 rebounds, 2.7 assists, and 1.1 blocks per game. In a series where he was mostly guarded by a superb defender in Kelly Williams, Fajardo shot a blistering 69.6 percent from the field.

This is his fourth time to win Finals MVP honors, tying LA Tenorio, James Yap, and Danny Seigle for most in league history.

What made the achievement all the more special for June Mar was that his efforts were witnessed by his father. Fajardo had dedicated his season to his late mother, Marites, who passed away in October.

“Gusto ko pasalamatan ang papa ko, andito siya. Hindi na pwede ang mama ko,” Fajardo said after their 119-97 rout of TNT in Game 7. “Pero alam ko nanonood siya sa akin. Sana proud siya sa akin ngayon.

Ahead of the All-Filipino Conference, Fajardo announced that he will set up a fundraising campaign to honor his mother, donating a certain amount of money for every point and rebound and three-pointer. He also guaranteed P100,000 if San Miguel made the Finals.

Fajardo will end up donating P237,300 to charity, having capped his dominant conference by drilling a three-pointer late in the fourth quarter.

That Fajardo has regained his dominant form after suffering a brutal injury is of no surprise to his head coach, Leo Austria.

“Since Game 1, very evident na talagang ‘yung mission is to win a championship. Sometimes sinasabihan niya ako, ‘Coach, kaya natin ‘to. Ipapanalo natin ito.’ Kita naman natin, during the game, he’s averaging 20 points, 16 rebounds a game. That’s enormous,” Austria said of his star center.

“It’s amazing for a player like June Mar. And, andoon ‘yung determination niya, and wala akong masasabi sa kanya,” he added. “Pagka naging successful siya, lagi kaming kasama. Kaya sabi ko, swerte ako with June Mar dahil nagmu-mukha akong magaling.”