June Mar Fajardo closed out his Gilas Pilipinas career the way he spent most of it: making winning plays in the most efficient way possible. The 36-year-old center announced that Window 4 of the FIBA World Cup 2027 Asian Qualifiers would be his last for the national team, and he capped a 13-year run with two crucial victories, over Jordan (82-81) and Iran (68-56), that pushed Gilas to 4-4 and back into contention for a World Cup berth.

Fajardo leaves the program having suited up for three FIBA World Cups, most recently the 2023 edition hosted on home soil, and finishes with 70 total appearances in a Gilas uniform. His dominance in the PBA never fully carried over to the international stage, but he still found ways to matter, carving out a role as an efficient scorer off the bench. One of the high points came at the 2014 World Cup, when he was, remarkably, the second-most efficient player in the entire tournament behind Pau Gasol after the group stage.

He was actually supposed to retire after Window 3 back in July, before head coach Tim Cone asked if he’d be willing to play one more window. Fajardo obliged, and across all four windows this cycle, he stayed a steady presence, averaging 7.3 points and 3.3 rebounds in just 10.8 minutes a game.

He had to shoulder more than that recently, with Kai Sotto sidelined recovering from a torn ACL suffered in late 2024. Sotto finally returned for Window 4, rejoining the team for Fajardo’s final two games, a fitting handoff from one era-defining Filipino center to the next.

Fajardo’s fingerprints were all over the win against Iran. He checked in with Gilas trailing 21-29, and his free throws and a hook shot trimmed the gap to 25-29 before Dwight Ramos took over, scoring in transition, hitting two free throws to tie it at 29, and drilling a three to put Gilas ahead. Iran answered, Fajardo split another pair of free throws, and the two teams traded blows until Gilas headed to the half tied at 34. In his roughly three minutes on the floor during that stretch, Gilas outscored Iran 13-5, turning an eight-point hole into a deadlocked game.

That kind of winning impact defined his time with Gilas Pilipinas. 

He may never have been the international star that he was domestically, but few players have meant as much to Philippine basketball over the last decade as his consistency and leadership have been invaluable. 

Gilas Pilipinas will not be the same without him, though he leaves the program’s center position in good hands with Sotto.