By Al S. Mendoza

 

SAN Miguel Beer’s Grand Slam dream may vanish yet again.

That’s because June Mar Fajardo, the team’s cornerstone for the longest time, has been declared out of commission from four to six weeks due to a throat injury.

That’s definitely a bomb explosion of a news that will most likely render the Beermen practically crippled.

Without Fajardo, the 6-foot-10 pillar of power, SMB is virtually reduced to a PWD (Performer With Disability) that cannot function fully without its fulcrum.

Fajardo being the Beermen’s axis, he has been the team’s heart and soul—in the process installing himself the most dominant player in the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) the last decade or so.

He is San Miguel’s Great Wall of China: the stonewall on whom the Beermen had leaned on in producing six PBA All-Filipino crowns—including an unprecedented winning streak of five straight from 2015 to 2019.

As a result of that amazing feat, Fajardo became the league’s Most Valuable Player (MVP) a record six times—more than breaking the previous mark of four MVP plums shared by Ramon Fernandez and Alvin Patrimonio, both of whom are now retired.

It’s a pity, indeed, that Fajardo has to miss more than half of the ongoing PBA Commissioner’s Cup due to his wounded throat.

It happened some two weeks ago when Rain or Shine import Steve Taylor’s wayward elbow hit Fajardo’s throat in a rebound scramble.

But courageous that Fajardo has always been, he continued playing—unmindful of the pain brought on by the unintentional hit.

What aggravated matters was when Glen Mamuyac unintentionally struck Fajardo’s nect again later in the game.

Still, Fajardo endured the pain and did not stop playing.

Only after the game did Fajardo decide to go to the hospital, where doctors found a torn cartilage that needed instant surgery to stop internal bleeding.

If truth be told, Fajardo spat out blood during the game.

He kept it to himself, quietly, not wanting to disturb the momentum of his team that, fortunately, went on to defeat Rain or Shine.

Unfortunately, Fajardo’s latest injury was his second in three years.

In 2020, he injured his leg and he spent more than a year to fully recover.

His absence caused San Miguel to flounder and miss championship fights for almost two years.

But with him back this year, Fajardo quickly regained his form and powered SMB to its sixth All-Filipino crown last month. He was the Finals’ MVP.

It also made him fully recovered from the grief of losing his mother during the pandemic.

Then came another tragedy—the throat injury.

Thus, San Miguel’s only remaining hope to stay afloat in the ongoing conference is to have a strong import in Devon Scott, who replaced Diamond Stone in a bid to strengthen SMB’s slot position woefully vacated by Fajardo.

Only a miracle now can save SMB’s Grand Slam dream.

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