Fajardo set to join El Presidente, the Captain

Will it be another coronation night for June Mar Fajardo?

The 7-foot center of San Miguel Beer is the heavy favorite to win a fourth consecutive MVP plum when the PBA honors the top performers for the 42nd season in the 2017 Leo Awards before Game 4 today at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

Already a record holder with three straight MVP awards, Fajardo is at the forefront of the race after he topped the Statistical Points (SP) department with 38.58 SPs after the semifinal round of the Governors’ Cup.

The native of Pinamungahan, Cebu averaged 17.6 points, 11.6 rebounds, 1.6 assists and 1.7 shot blocks this season, and helped San Miguel capture two championships – the Philippine Cup and the Commissioner’s Cup.

During the all-Filipino tournament, Fajardo won his fifth Best Player of the Conference (BPC) plum, making him an automatic candidate for the MVP. He is looking to become only the third player to win four MVPs.

Ramon Fernandez was the first to accomplish it when he captured the PBA’s top individual awards in 1982, 1984, 1986 and 1988, and Alvin Patrimonio followed suit in 1991, 1993, 1994 and 1997.

The Leo Awards is set today at 5 p.m., or before Game 4 of the finals series in the Governors’ Cup between Ginebra and Meralco at the Big Dome. —WAYLON GALVEZ