Gilas Pilipinas Men coach Tim Cone was the first to greet June Mar Fajardo when the 6-foot-10 San Miguel Beer center walked into the Upper Deck Sports Center in Ortigas, Pasig Monday morning for the first day of national team practice.
The Nationals are on a tight prep schedule, with the home game against the New Zealand Tall Blacks in the FIBA Basketball World Cup Asian Qualifiers at the SM Mall of Asia Arena a little over a week away on February 26, and the big dance with the Boomers of Australia on March 1.
The Coach and player spoke briefly from a distance, with congratulatory words audible, obviously in reference to the Beermen’s victory in the recent PBA Philippine Cup Finals and Fajardo wrapping his fingers around the elegant Ramon Fernandez Finals MVP trophy, his fifth such individual honor.
Fajardo then slumped to a side-court bench, dropping his white shoes and surveying the early birds in the Gilas Men’s pool — Scottie Thompson, CJ Perez, RJ Abarrientos, Calvin Oftana, and Chris Newsome, and new additions Justine Baltazar, Juan Gomez-De Liano, RJ Abarrientos, and Troy Rosario.
No longer having around longtime frontline partner Japeth Aguilar, who has retired from national team duty, clearly was a saddening occasion for Fajardo.
“Di ko na kasama mentor ko,” he said.
He mumbled something to a team utility about having to cut short his Cebu vacation after the championship series with the TNT Tropang 5G.
“Di pa nga ako nakaligo don sa dagat sa’min,” said Fajardo, who was scheduled to accept the Mr. Basketball award from the Philippine Sportswriters Association later in the evening at the Diamond Hotel in Manila.
“Gusto nga ng mga katropa ko magkita-kita kami, pero sabi ko mag-start na yung ensayo sa Gilas,” he said.
A few feet away, Josh Reyes, a member of the Gilas Men’s coaching staff and an assistant to TNT mentor Chot Reyes, overheard Fajardo’s remark and jokingly said: “Huwag ka na kasing mag-finals, June Mar, para mas mahaba ang bakasyon mo.”
Fajardo smiled, shaking his head as he slipped on his socks, and replied: “Di bale nang walang bakasyon, coach, basta may finals. Sa kanila na yung dagat, akin yung finals.”
Absent on Day 1 of practice were those playing internationally, including Dwight Ramos, Kevin Quiambao, AJ Edu, and Carl Tamayo, who are expected to join Gilas Men in training in a week’s time, along with naturalized player Justin Brownlee, yet in time-off mode after his EASL stint with the Meralco Bolts.
