Humblebola

By: Karlo Lovenia

VANCOUVER, BC – For the longest time, Philippine Basketball was looking for its savior. A singular figure who could help elevate the National Team in the world stage. For 36 years, the Philippine national men’s basketball team yearned for the one that could bring them back to the world stage.

Enter June Mar Fajardo.

During the early 2010s, hope of finding that savior was reignited when two giants emerged from the Queen City of the South. June Mar, then from the University of Cebu, and his rival Greg Slaugher, from the University of Visayas, were touted as the future of Philippine Basketball. For a basketball-loving country so lacking in height, having two skilled giants from the Visayas shone bright like a beacon of light. What immediately made them stand out was their height; what made people believe was their skill. 

There was so much belief in June Mar that he was offered to be part of Gilas 1.0, drafted with the first overall pick during the 2012 PBA Draft and even despite his young age, included in the Gilas Pilipinas lineup for the 2013 FIBA Asia Cup. The savior had arrived.

Or so we thought.

Such is life in Philippine Basketball. With high expectations come even greater scrutiny and that was the life of June Mar Fajardo as a player for Gilas Pilipinas. Pinch me if you’ve heard this before: Hanggang PBA lang.

Rather than be the savior that elevates the National Team in the world stage, he became the butt of jokes and was treated as evidence that the PBA was an inferior basketball product compared to the international game. Never mind the MVPs and the pockets of greatness he showed while wearing the Pilipinas jersey, nothing he did ever seemed to be enough for his critics when talking about June Mar Fajardo’s Gilas legacy.

It’s funny that 13 years later, those same fans who were berating June Mar were now posting Instagram stories with captions of “Salamat Abai 🫡” and reposting that image of the Kraken raising the game ball for the Philippines-Iran game last August 30, 2026. Such is the irony of Philippine Sports fandom. And honestly, such is the greatness of June Mar Fajardo.

The last paragraph I just wrote is how most Philippine sports fans sound like when they are at their worst. Entitled. Snarky. Demanding of others and demeaning when expectations are not met. It happens to all of us, myself included. 

That’s not to say all of the criticism against June Mar was unwarranted. He was limited in the world stage. He could not defend a pick and roll to save his life and versus an international game that has embraced screen-and-roll action as the core of most modern offenses, the trade-off was far too much. On offense, he was a force; even burly Australians could not push him around whenever he’d get into the post (it’s that Filipino strength baby; it’s FOR REAL). But the moment you asked him to slide his feet against a guard, you braced for disappointment. 

The basketball wasn’t perfect. June Mar never truly had a sustained run in Gilas where you could call him the guy. He didn’t turn out to be the savior we wanted him to be when he first emerged in the scene during the early 2010s. 

Those expectations can shape how a man views himself. Realistically, all the MVPs June Mar had won (with an employer that was surely compensating him WELL) gave him the cache to say no to joining the National Team. What benefit did it get him to be judged for failing to defend a pick and roll? The PBA multi-time MVP didn’t look MVP-like on the international stage. If anything, playing for Gilas hurts whatever imaginary legacy or GOAT case was being made against him. Hanggang PBA lang. That is something haters would and will likely continue to throw against him.

But to June Mar his image didn’t matter. Only helping the team did.

To quote June Mar’s Instagram bio: “No negative thoughts allowed. You can’t live a positive life with a negative mind!” He never let that negativity and venom enter his head. He continued to show up and emerged as a positive force for the National Team. 

In a culture of hyper-individualism and dopamine hits, June Mar was the epitome of stacking days and just showing up. Whenever his body allowed him to be on the court, June Mar always showed up wearing the colors of Gilas Pilipinas. He never demanded playing time. He was never one to ask for more touches even if the game tape said that the gravity he delivered on the offensive end earned him a bigger role in the Gilas offense. He simply did his job and showed that it’s We not Me (with apologies to the Alaska Aces, who blew a 3-0 lead over a decade ago no thanks to June Mar’s heroics). 

That’s the June Mar Fajardo legacy as a Gilas Pilipinas legend. It isn’t whatever dominance fans envisioned out of him or being the alpha savior that he was touted to be when he initially came out of the scene. It was by showing PUSO in his own special way; by being unquestionably June Mar. A positive light. A great teammate. Stayed present and just did his job and let the limelight follow him instead of chasing it. This might sound dramatic, but honestly, in many ways, he was the ideal Filipino.

The current Gilas Pilipinas program does not get here without June Mar Fajardo. Kai Sotto and AJ Edu, two players who are arguably more armed to carry the title of savior, do not get here without June Mar Fajardo. He helped paved the way. They are standing on the shoulders of giants. They are standing on the shoulders of the Kraken.