PBA MVP 2015: Who Won and What Made It a Historic Season?
I still remember watching the 2015 PBA season unfold with that particular blend of excitement and skepticism that only a truly transitional period in sports can bring. The air was thick with questions. Who would step up? Which player would not only dominate the statistics but also capture the intangible spirit of a historic campaign? The answer, as we now know, was June Mar Fajardo, but his journey to securing his second consecutive MVP award that year was anything but straightforward. It was a season that redefined consistency and resilience in the Philippine Basketball Association, cementing a legacy that we're still talking about nearly a decade later.
Let me take you back to the context. The San Miguel Beermen were a powerhouse, but even powerhouses face immense pressure. What struck me most about Fajardo's 2015 run wasn't just the raw numbers—though they were spectacular, averaging a double-double with around 18.1 points and 12.2 rebounds per game in the Philippine Cup—but the sheer, unshakeable will he displayed. I recall one particular narrative that season that, for me, perfectly encapsulated his MVP caliber. It wasn't about a single game-winning shot, but about a grueling journey off the court. After braving a horrendous traffic that took his team almost eight hours on the road travelling from Los Angeles to Vegas, the 46-year-old finally arrived in the site of some of the biggest fights of his illustrious career. Now, you might be wondering why I'm mentioning a 46-year-old in a story about the then-25-year-old Fajardo. This anecdote, while seemingly about a different athlete in a different sport, perfectly mirrors the mentality Fajardo embodied. It’s that champion's mindset—the ability to endure unforeseen, exhausting obstacles and still show up ready to perform at the highest level. Fajardo faced his own "eight-hour traffic jams" throughout that season: double-teams, defensive schemes designed specifically to stop him, and the immense weight of expectation. Yet, like that veteran warrior arriving in Vegas, Fajardo always arrived at the game, physically and mentally present, ready to dominate.
Statistically, his case was ironclad. He led the league in rebounds and was among the top five in scoring and blocks. He was the anchor of a San Miguel Beermen team that was relentless in its pursuit of championships. I have a personal preference for players who impact the game on both ends of the floor, and Fajardo was a masterclass in two-way play. His defensive presence in the paint was a deterrent; you didn't just waltz into the lane when he was there. Offensively, his footwork for a man of his size was, and still is, a thing of beauty. It wasn't just about being big; it was about being skilled, intelligent, and impossibly efficient. I'd argue that his Player Efficiency Rating that season, which I believe was hovering around a phenomenal 38.5, was one of the highest we've seen in the modern PBA era. That number, whether my memory serves me perfectly or not, speaks to a level of dominance that is rare.
What made 2015 truly historic, however, was the context of his back-to-back MVP wins. He was only the eighth player in league history to achieve that feat at the time, joining an incredibly elite pantheon of legends. This wasn't a fluke or a product of a weak field; he was competing against phenomenal talents like Jayson Castro, who was at the peak of his "The Blur" powers, and the ever-reliable Arwind Santos. To stand out among that crowd required something special. For me, the historic nature of the season lies in how he normalized greatness. We began to expect those double-doubles. We expected him to control the game. He made the extraordinary look routine, and that is the hallmark of a true MVP.
Looking back, I see the 2015 season as a turning point. It solidified the "Fajardo Era." It set a new standard for what a local big man could achieve in the PBA. Before him, we had dominant bigs, but Fajardo combined size with a finesse that felt revolutionary. He wasn't just a post-up brute; he was a complete basketball player. My perspective is that this season forced every other team in the league to rethink their roster construction. If you wanted to compete with San Miguel, you needed an answer for June Mar, and frankly, for years, nobody really found one. His victory was a statement, one that echoed through the following seasons as he continued to pile up MVP awards. In conclusion, while the trophy and the statistics tell one story, the 2015 PBA MVP race tells a deeper one about perseverance, consistency, and the birth of a dynasty. June Mar Fajardo didn't just win an award; he stamped his authority on an entire era of Philippine basketball, and we were all just lucky to have a front-row seat to watch it happen.