June Mar Fajardo was declared as the Most Valuable Player of the Philippine Basketball Association for the Year 2014 or 39th Season of the PBA, considered as Asia’s longest-running pay-for-play professional basketball competition. The announcement of June Mar Fajardo as this season’s MVP was held during the PBA’s Annual Leo Awards held at the Smart Araneta Coliseum on Saturday, July 5, 2014.
The Annual Leo Awards which recognized the best players of the PBA was held before the start of Game 3 of the PBA Governor’s Cup Finals between the San Mig Coffee Mixers and the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters. The series is now tied at 1-all with both teams eager to win the pivotal Game 3 of he Best-of-Five PBA Championship series.
During the interview with the newly-awarded MVP, June Mar Fajardo he noted that he dedicates his MVP Award to his Uncle who just passed away with cancer. According to him, his family is at wake right now, although he wanted to visit the wake in Cebu but he could not do it because of his commitment with the Gilas Pilipinas National Team.
The 24-year-old June Mar Fajardo won the Season’s MVP against fellow Gilas Pilipinas mainstay Jayson Castro, and Ranidel de Ocampo. The other contender of the MVP Award for the 39th PBA Season is former MVP Asi Taulava. Aside from winning the MVP Award, June Mar Fajardo also won the Most Improved Player Award in the PBA.
Notable awardees during the 2014 Leo Awards were Willie Miller with the Sportsmanship Awards, and Greg Slaughter as the 2014 Rookie of the Year. The Mythical First Team of the PBA were composed of June Mar Fajardo, Jayson Castro, Asi Taulava, Ranidel de Ocampo and Mark Barroca.