(UPDATE) AFTER June Mar Fajardo officially received his unprecedented eighth PBA Most Valuable Player Award for Season 48 on Sunday, questions have resurfaced as to whether the San Miguel Beer star is now considered the “Greatest of All Time” in Asia’s first paid professional league.

You see, Fajardo’s recent MVP award has already doubled the achievements of PBA legends Ramon Fernandez and Alvin Patrimonio, who set the “gold standard” for years during their respective professional careers.

Fernandez and Patrimonio each won four MVP awards during their illustrious PBA careers.

For the 34-year-old Fajardo, however, it is an honor to be part of the “GOAT” discussion, but he still holds Fernandez in high regard, as the legendary big man has won 19 PBA championships in his 20-year PBA career.

June Mar Fajardo. TMT PHOTO

“I am happy to be part of this (GOAT discussion), but I think I am still far from achieving this goal because there are so many players from the past who deserve to be called the ‘GOAT’ of the PBA,” Fajardo told sportswriters in Filipino following the Leo Awards held at the Smart Araneta Coliseum on Sunday.

“Papa Mon (Fernandez) alone has won 19 championships, but I have only won 10, so I am still a long way from that,” he added.

The pride of Pinamungahan, Cebu personally said that to be considered the “GOAT” of the PBA, one must win championships and not just individual awards.

“For me, if you have won a lot of championships, you can be called the ‘GOAT’. But I am happy with what I have accomplished. Papa Mon and Sir Alvin are different, they are the barometer for the MVP. I have a lot of respect for them because they set the standard in the PBA,” he explained. “And we (the next generation of PBA players) just follow their example.”

With eight PBA MVPs and possibly more barring major injuries or illnesses, Fajardo could continue to make history considering he is still at his peak at this stage of his career.

In fact, the longtime SMB star center’s statistics from Season 48 remain solid, as evidenced by his average of 17.8 points per game, a league-best 13.4 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 1.7 blocks per game.

Although he turns 35 this November, Fajardo said he always started each season or conference thinking he had accomplished nothing.

“I’m happy to win this MVP award again, but I didn’t really set a goal to be MVP. I’m just thankful to God for this award and to my teammates and coaches and the media for the votes,” he said.

“Every conference, I just do my best. That’s my mindset. Every conference start or every season start, I try to win my first championship. I just want to win championships,” he added.

Currently playing as one of the oldest players on the Gilas Pilipinas team, Fajardo also holds the PBA record of ten Best Player trophies, was a member of the Mythical First Team nine times, appeared as an All-Star nine times and was named to the All-Defensive Team seven times.