Romwel Anzures

San Miguel Beer’s June Mar Fajardo and Barangay Ginebra’s Scottie Thompson hoisting their respective PBA Most Valuable Player (MVP) awards. Photo from PBA Images.

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ABS-CBN News

<div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1743572659551IMG_6650.jpeg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt="San Miguel Beer’s Junemar Fajardo and Barangay Ginebra’s Scottie Thompson hoisting their respective PBA Most Valuable Player (MVP) awards. Photo from PBA Images."/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">San Miguel Beer’s June Mar Fajardo and Barangay Ginebra’s Scottie Thompson hoisting their respective PBA Most Valuable Player (MVP) awards. <em>Photo from PBA Images.</em></span></span></span>MANILA — June Mar Fajardo and Scottie Thompson joined eight other legends as the PBA unveiled the 10 names on Wednesday to cap its &quot;50 Greatest Players&quot; list.</div><p>Ahead of its 50th anniversary on April 9 and its 50th Season in October, Asia’s pioneer pay-for-play league finally revealed the much-anticipated 10-man roster which completes the 50 best and brightest that Philippine basketball has ever seen.</p><div><strong>1. June Mar Fajardo</strong></div><p>Only one of the two current players to make the list is the San Miguel Beermen superstar, and it would have been a crime not to put the eight-time PBA MVP and 11-time Best Player of the Conference in the list.</p><p>The 6-foot-10, 35-year-old behemoth from Cebu even has four Finals MVPs, nine Mythical First Teams inclusion, and a seven-time member of the league’s All-Defense Teams, and these are only some of the feats that Fajardo is continuing to pile up for himself and for San Miguel Beer.</p><div><strong>2. Scottie Thompson</strong></div><p>Aside from Fajardo who reigned from 2013-14 until 2019, and 2022-23 until present, it was only Thompson who managed to crack in and be hailed with the league’s top individual plum.</p><p>The Barangay Ginebra San Miguel do-it-all star earned the MVP in 2021, and this was after he just led the Gin Kings to rule four of the six conferences from early 2020 until early 2023 (19-20 Governors’, 20 All-Filipino, 21 Governors’, 22-23 Commissioner’s).</p><p>Those four ‘chips are more than half of the 31-year-old, Digos native’s seven league titles, and the two-time BPC winner and Mythical First Team member can even add more as his career continues.</p><div>But aside from the two current cagers who  have won MVPs since the PBA unveiled its list of 40 Greatest players 10 years ago, who are the rest of the icons that are on the list? Here are them in alphabetical order.<br/><br/><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1743572971651IMG_6651.jpeg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt="Former PBA Player Nelson Asaytono goes for a shot during an exhibition game against the USA All-Stars at the Mall of Asia Arena, July 19, 2012. Rem Zamora, ABS-CBN News/File."/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">Former PBA Player Nelson Asaytono goes for a shot during an exhibition game against the USA All-Stars at the Mall of Asia Arena, July 19, 2012. <em>Rem Zamora, ABS-CBN News/File.</em></span></span></span><strong>3. Nelson Asaytono</strong></div><p>The 17-year PBA legend should have already been locked in the list that was initially listed 25 years ago and eventually extended in 2015, and finally for his fans and Asaytono himself, ‘The Bull’ is finally in.</p><p>He may have been listed at 6-foot-4, but Asaytono bullied his way into tallying 12,268 points while playing for Purefoods, Swift, San Miguel, Pop Cola, and Red Bull.</p><p>These also helped the second overall pick of the 1989 Draft from the University of Makati to win seven league titles, as well as earning three Mythical First Team citations and two Best Player of the Conference awards.</p><div><strong>4. Jeffrey Cariaso</strong></div><p>The sixth-overall pick of Alaska Milk in 1995 turned out to be more than worth it, to say the least, for the now-defunct franchise as Jeffrey Cariaso helped them win a Grand Slam, as well as six of their 14 PBA Championships.</p><p>And while it is of note that he won his first set of ‘chips with the likes of Johnny Abarrientos, Jojo Lastimosa, Sean Chambers, and Bong Hawkins, and with the mentorship of Tim Cone, Cariaso managed to spread his wings into becoming ‘The Jet’ even after his first go-around with Alaska.</p><p>The 6-foot-2, 15-year veteran earned himself a Finals MVP, a BPC award, and two titles with Coca-Cola, and he made a triumphant return to the Alaska franchise, ending his career with two more ‘chips before retiring in 2010.</p><div><strong>5. Bong Hawkins</strong></div><p>Speaking of Cariaso, the Milkmen and Coca-Cola, another pillar of those squads was the 6-foot-4 Bong Hawkins.</p><p>A product of University of Perpetual Help System DALTA much like Thompson, Hawkins also made the most noise during his time with Cone in Alaska.</p><p>The second-overall pick of the 1991 Draft won his first title with the Milkmen in 1995, and he then served as the anchor of that squad during their Grand Slam in the following year, even winning the Finals MVP in the 1996 Commissioner’s.</p><p>Again like Cariaso, Hawkins could have easily been a part of the 25 and 40 Greatest list many years ago. Fortunately for him, the Aces had already given him his flowers earlier by having his No.16 jersey retired together with Cariaso, Abarrientos, Chambers, Lastimosa, and Sonny Thoss.</p><div><strong>6. Abe King</strong></div><p>The 18-year veteran, 13-time league champion Abe King will finally be crowned as a part of the PBA’s Greatest list.</p><p>Playing for proud franchises such as Toyota, Great Taste, and Purefoods, Abraham Columbus M. King Jr. more often than not served as the ultimate complimentary player to the likes of none other than Ramon Fernandez, Robert Jaworsky, and Francis Arnaiz.</p><p>Still, the 6-foot-3 ace from San Beda College managed to earn himself a Mythical First Team in 1982 and a Second Team three years after.</p><p>And just before he completed his career in 1994, King found himself winning his last two titles — that time with Purefoods — and he also served as a mentor to future legends Alvin Patrimonio and Jerry Codiñera.</p><div><strong>7. Danny Seigle</strong></div><p>‘Dynamite’ Danny Seigle was among the first of his kind during his playing years in the PBA.</p><p>The 6-foot-6, former San Miguel Beerman exploded past his opponents regardless of size with either powerful dunks and jumpers from everywhere on the hardwood, or with finesse during his latter years in the PBA, and this allowed him to win eight titles in the league.</p><p>Complementing Seigle’s championships are four Finals MVPs, three Mythical First Teams, and two BPCs, and he also managed to do this while battling with a number of lower leg injuries throughout his career.</p><p>Seigle was still in the latter part of his career when the 40 Greatest was released — with him playing for TNT KaTropa alongside the likes of Jayson Castro and Ranidel de Ocampo.</p><p>And while it may have been deemed too early for him to join the list during that time, he was still able to win one last title in 2015 when they defeated the Rain or Shine ElastoPainters in the Com’s Cup before eventually retiring in 2017.</p><div><strong>8. Arnie Tuadles</strong></div><p>The late great Arnie Tuadles finally got the well-earned recognition that he deserved.</p><p>The 6-foot-2, 1979 Rookie of the Year and Mythical Five member — who played with Toyota, Great Taste, Ginebra, Alaska, Shell, and Presto, and also alongside the likes of Fernandez, Jaworski, Arnaiz, and King — managed to make for himself in the league, scoring just a new hundreds short of 10,000 points.</p><p>He completed his career with 9,430 before retiring in 1992, and this was also on top of a Mythical Second Team in 1984.</p><div><strong>9. Manny Victorino</strong></div><p>Another star from the league’s early years also finally got his name etched into the league’s Greatest Players ever.</p><p>Manny Victorino, well-known for his playing years with Great Taste, is a six-time PBA Champion, three-time Mythical First Team member, and was the league’s Most Improved Player in 1984.</p><p>The 6-foot-5, Jose Rizal College product also had stints with Shell, Presto, Pepsi, Ginebra, Purefoods, and Sunkist, and the talented forward concluded his PBA career with 9,596 points.  </p><div><strong>10. Yoyoy Villamin</strong></div><p>PBA legend Elpidio ‘Yoyoy’ Villamin completes the 10 additions to the league’s 50 Greatest Player list.</p><p>The 6-foot-3 forward from Far Eastern University played for almost two decades in the PBA with teams such as Crispa, Manila Beer, Alaska, Swift, Pepsi, and San Miguel, winning nine championships from 1981 to 1995.</p><p>Villamin was also a part of the 1983 Crispa Grand Slam squad, and what followed was a Mythical First Team citation in 1987, three Second Team citations, and seven All-Defense Team appearances. He retired in the PBA in 1998 with SMB.</p>

<p>June Mar Fajardo and Scottie Thompson joined eight other legends as the PBA unveiled the 10 names on Wednesday to cap its ‘50 Greatest Players’ list.</p>

June Mar Fajardo and Scottie Thompson joined eight other legends as the PBA unveiled the 10 names on Wednesday to cap its ‘50 Greatest Players’ list.

Fajardo, Thompson join elite names as PBA completes list of 50 greatest players

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Fajardo, Thompson join elite names as PBA completes list of 50 greatest players

Rom Anzures,

ABS-CBN News

Published April 02, 2025 07:58 PM PHT

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