JIO Jalalon, his Star teammate Marc Pingris, and champion coach Tim Cone of Barangay Ginebra share the limelight when the PBA Press Corps honors the season’s best in its 24th Annual Awards at the Gloria Maris Restaurant inside the Gateway Mall on Nov. 30.
Jalalon is the consensus choice as Mr. Quality Minutes, while Pingris and Cone are at the forefront of the All-Interview team to be recognized by the group of sportswriters who regularly covers the PBA beat during the formal affair presented by Cignal TV.
The star point guard bested the likes of Kelly Williams (TnT Katropa), Reynel Hugnatan (Meralco), and Sol Mercado (Barangay Ginebra) for the award given similar to the Sixth Man Award or to the player who contributed the most coming off the bench. Jalalon averaged 9.3 points in his rookie season with the Hotshots.
Past Mr. Quality Minutes winners include Olsen Racela, Bong Alvarez, Rodney Santos, Ronald Tubid, Peter June Simon, RenRen Ritualo, Jayson Castro, Jervy Cruz, Larry Fonacier, among others.
Meanwhile, Pingris and Cone will be joined in the All-Interview team by Ranidel de Ocampo (Meralco), Castro (TnT Katropa), Beaue Belga (Rain or Shine), and LA Tenorio (Barangay Ginebra). The award is in recognition for players, coaches, and personalities who churns out juicy quotes and make themselves available for interviews with PBAPC members.
Tenorio, meanwhile, will also receive the Order of Merit honor for emerging with the most number of Player of the Week citation last season.
Globalport’s Terrence Romeo is again the Mighty Sports Scoring Champion for the third straight time, even as top rookie Roger Pogoy leads the year’s All-Rookie team, which he shares with Jalalon, Matthew Wright (Phoenix), Kevin Ferrer (Barangay Ginebra) and Reden Celda (KIA).
The highpoint of the awards night is the presentation of the Virgilio ‘Baby’ Dalupan Coach of the Year award held in honor of the prodigious late mentor, who scored the league’s first ever grand slam with Crispa in 1976.
Also on tap are the Danny Floro Executive of the Year award named in behalf of the former Crispa team owner and the Bogs Adornado Comeback Player of the Year being held in honor of the league’s former three-time MVP and part of the PBA’s 25 Greatest Players.