June Mar Fajardo played his last game for Gilas Pilipinas on Sunday, and his teammates made sure he got the spotlight. After Gilas overcame Iran, 68-56, to sweep the fourth window of the Fiba World Cup Asian Qualifiers, the team awarded Fajardo the game ball, and brought him to center court at the Mall of Asia Arena. Fans cheered and screamed “MVP!
Some wondered for years if Fajardo, a nine-time PBA MVP, could translate that success to the international scene. But on Sunday, no more discussion, simply thanks for his years of service to the country.
“Representing my country has been one of the greatest honors of my life,” Fajardo said in a social media post Monday. “Every time I wear that PILIPINAS jersey I knew I was playing for something bigger than myself.
It was the final time Fajardo donned the No. 15 jersey for Gilas. He had a 13-year career with the national team, playing 70 games throughout all Fiba competitions and more in the Asian Games and Southeast Asian Games.
Fajardo made his debut at the 2013 Fiba Asia Championship, also hosted at the Mall of Asia, in jersey No. 12. That tournament took Gilas to the 2014 Fiba World Cup in Seville, Spain, where Fajardo helped beat Senegal in overtime.
He was lauded for staying out of a violent brawl against Australia in 2018. He brought home the gold from the 2019 SEA Games but also tasted the sting of Gilas’ loss in the 2022 SEA Games in Vietnam. He fought through the 2019 and 2023 World Cups but also tasted the thrill of capturing the gold at the 2023 Asian Games in China.
He performed effectively when Gilas defeated world No. 5 Latvia in 2024. However, the last few years have been plagued by more troubles and injuries, so the Iran game was the ideal time for him to say farewell.
Fajardo didn’t only say goodbye, he aided the team on court one more time. Gilas trailed 18-7 in the first quarter but Fajardo’s jump hook helped narrow the lead to 29-25 in the second period.
The shot raised the emotions of the team, said coach Tim Cone. The crowd went nuts. And that kind of gave us that lift heading to the halftime,” Cone added.
Fajardo scored six points with two rebounds in seven minutes. Gilas’ success kept alive its aspirations for a slot in next year’s World Cup.
After the game, Fajardo was given the game ball and had his jersey signed by the complete team – keepsakes he will treasure alongside the accolades and medals from his lengthy career.
