Standhardinger on winning BPC plum: “Honored, but I’d exchange it for one championship”

Christian Standhardinger just won his very first Best Player of the Conference award and for the 30-year old Fil-German, it’s something that he never really expected.

“This is completely unexpected. I was surprised that I was even nominated, to be honest with you,” he said moments after winning the 2019 Governors’ Cup BPC over former teammate and 5-time league MVP June Mar Fajardo and 2-time Best Point Guard in Asia Jayson Castro, among others.

“It was completely unexpected and really surprised that I got that, but I’m honored and I appreciate it,” added Standhardinger.

The top overall pick of the 2017 draft, who spent the first 2 conferences of the season with San Miguel and won the same number of titles, credited his NorthPort teammates and coach for his latest career achievement.

“I have to really appreciate my teammates. They put me in a great position. It was so much fun last conference to play with them and to fight with them,” he said.

“I feel like this is more of a team award than it is anything else, and I’m really just thankful to my coach in NorthPort, Pido Jarencio, and to my teammates that it worked out,” added the national team player.

The 2-time PBA champion, however, admitted that he would’ve preferred winning another championship instead of an individual accolade.

“A championship is so much more than a personal award. Ten out of ten times, I’d exchange it for one championship,” said Standhardinger.

“But that doesn’t take away the fact that I am really honored to get this award, and to everybody involved, starting from the coaches, my family, from the people that I surrounded myself and that I love.”