World Cup veteran Fajardo remains grounded after Towns matchup: ‘I don’t measure myself one-on-one’
Ever-humble star June Mar Fajardo remains focused on helping Gilas Pilipinas despite facing multiple NBA talent in his FIBA World Cup career, the latest being Karl-Anthony Towns
BULACAN, Philippines – In his storied basketball career, June Mar Fajardo has seen and done it all against all levels of competition.
Already playing in his third career FIBA World Cup, the six-time PBA MVP is still bringing the pain to opposing defenses, tallying 16 points on a perfect 5-of-5 clip with 10 rebounds in a heartbreaking opening day loss against the Dominican Republic.
Fajardo did all that despite going up against NBA-caliber talent like captain Eloy Vargas, young Angel Delgado, and most notably, NBA star Karl-Anthony Towns. But as impressive as the feat may be, the San Miguel cornerstone is not keeping track of the names he has faced, just the results his team are getting.
“For me, whenever I’m on the court, I just do what I can,” he said. “I don’t measure myself one-on-one with other players. I just want to do what I can to help the team.”
Fajardo may not be keeping track of the titans he’s banging with in the post, but for those interested, he has gone up against the likes of two-time NBA MVP Nikola Jokic, a young Giannis Antetokounmpo, Jokic’s teammate Boban Marjanovic, and Argentine legend Luis Scola, just to name a few.
That kind of retrospect, however, is left to the analysts and writers of the game. Fajardo’s sole focus is the task at hand, and right now, that is Gilas’ next game against Angola on Sunday, August 27, at the Araneta Coliseum.
There, Fajardo will face yet another NBA talent: 6-foot-10 youngster Bruno Fernando.
“We have two games left [in the group phase],” he continued. “We just have to bounce back in the next game. Thank you for all your support.”
“Of course, I’m thankful for all the fans who went here [in the Philippine Arena.] There were a lot of fellowmen out here supporting our team. I hope they continue to support us.” – Rappler.com