MANILA, Philippines – Will Christian Standhardinger and CJ Perez pull off an upset, or will June Mar Fajardo continue his record-breaking reign as PBA MVP?

The solution will be revealed on Sunday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum during the annual Leo’s Awards, when the league will honor the finest performances from Season 48 in a special ceremony.

The MVP trophy presentation, which is a highlight of the event that serves as the Season 49 premiere, features fierce competition from the San Miguel combination of Fajardo and Perez as well as former Ginebra big man Standhardinger.

After winning a league-high seven MVP honors, the 6-foot-10 Fajardo finished the season leading the pack with 42.1 statistical points, slightly less than average league-wide with 17.8 points, 13.4 rebounds, 2.8 assists, and 1.7 blocks per game.

During the Philippine Cup, the big man from Cebu was named the Best Player of the Conference. He also helped the Beermen win the Commissioner’s Cup and place second in the all-Filipino conference.

This season, Standhardinger, who will play for Terrafirma, ended second with 37.8 points per game while averaging 19.2 points, 10.2 rebounds, and 5.0 assists. Perez, on the other hand, finished third with 37.4 points per game on the basis of averages of 18.9 points, 6.3 rebounds, 3.7 assists, and 1.9 steals. In the Commissioner’s Cup, the San Miguel guard also won the BPC.

Guard Stephen Holt, who is currently with Barangay Ginebra, leads the way and wins Rookie of the Year.

The Fil-Am star, who was selected by Terrafirma as the first overall selection in the previous year’s draft, concluded his debut season with 17.0 points, 6.9 rebounds, 5.5 assists, and 1.9 steals. With 34.1 steals per game, he is well ahead of the competition.

Those stats were sufficient to propel him to the sixth spot in the MVP standings as he led the Dyip to their first-ever postseason appearance in eight years during the Philippine Cup.

In addition to his 9.3 point average, Cade Flores of Northport topped all rookies in rebounding with 7.2 boards, ranking second with 23.3 sps. Flores is a graduate of Arellano University.

In addition to receiving the MVP and ROY honors, the Samboy Lim Sportsmanship Award, All-Defensive Team, and members of two Mythical Teams should also be recognized.

The basketball community in the Philippines is at a crossroads between heritage and new talent as PBA Season 48 comes to an end and excitement for the Leo’s Awards event grows. The MVP competition between June Mar Fajardo, Christian Standhardinger, and CJ Perez perfectly captures the present position of the league: a mix of proven supremacy and up-and-coming talent questioning the existing status quo.

Should Fajardo win an eighth MVP award, it would solidify his place among the PBA’s all-time greats. As evidence of his ongoing influence on the game, his steady play, which led to him leading in statistical points and another Best Player of the Conference title, was achieved. But Standhardinger and Perez’s intense competition points to a changing sport where young players are becoming more and more capable of upsetting even the most accomplished veterans.

This story of transition takes on further depth with the rise of Stephen Holt as the front-runner for Rookie of the Year. With his outstanding rookie year, which saw Terrafirma make their first postseason participation in eight years, the player’s and the league’s futures seem bright. The PBA is being revitalized by the infusion of new talent, as seen by the outstanding achievements of other rookies like Cade Flores.

It’s evident that the PBA is going through an exciting period of change as the league gets ready to award its top performers. The MVP competition is a representation of the continued development of basketball in the Philippines, not only of individual success. The celebration will honor not just the finest players of the season but also the bright future of baseball in the nation, regardless of whether Fajardo breaks his record or a new name is inscribed on the trophy.