For a player sitting atop the PBA Season 50 Commissioner’s Cup Best Player of the Conference race, RJ Abarrientos seemed far more interested in cracking jokes than talking about individual accolades.
As the league prepares to hand out its conference awards ahead of Game 4 of the Finals, the Barangay Ginebra guard found himself at the center of conversations surrounding the BPC plum. But rather than embracing the spotlight, Abarrientos quickly redirected attention to the only race he believes matters right now — the one for the championship.
“Siyempre thankful ako, grateful ako,” Abarrientos said when asked about being the frontrunner for the award.
Then came a response only he could deliver.
“Nag-number one ako dati sa school, noisy lang,” he said with a laugh. “Number one noisy ako tapos pinapalabas ako ng teacher.”
The room erupted in laughter as the 25-year-old continued the story.
“Ngayon may pagkakataon na mag-number one, tapos ngayon sa basketball,” he added. “Dati kasi pinapalabas lang ako pag maingay sa school.”
The lighthearted exchange reflected the personality that has made Abarrientos one of the league’s most relatable young stars. But beneath the humor lies a player fully locked in on Ginebra’s quest for another title.
The sophomore guard made it clear that personal recognition takes a backseat to the bigger objective.
“Game goes on,” he said.
“Hindi ko tinitingnan yung individual awards. Kailangan na namin makuha yung Game 4, masarado namin at magtuloy-tuloy yung Finals.”
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RJ Abarrientos joked that he used to be “No. 1” only for being noisy in school, but said his focus remains on winning Game 4 and helping Barangay Ginebra San Miguel move closer to the PBA Finals. | Via Zeus Valdez#FastBreak #PBA #Ginebra #Tropang5g pic.twitter.com/vnY4OSzxEv
— Fastbreak (@fastbreaknewsph) June 8, 2026
That mindset has helped fuel another breakout conference for Abarrientos.
After capturing Rookie of the Year honors last season, the former Korean Basketball League standout has elevated his game further, becoming one of Ginebra’s most dependable weapons throughout the Commissioner’s Cup campaign.
His impact was once again evident in Game 3 against TNT, where he delivered 15 points, six assists, and five rebounds while knocking down key baskets that helped preserve the Gin Kings’ lead during a late Tropang 5G rally.
Those performances have pushed him to the top of the BPC standings, putting him in line to add another individual achievement to an already growing list of accomplishments.
Still, Abarrientos remains amused more than anything by the attention.
“Yun nga,” he said. “Nagulat din ako kasi dati talaga number one sa noisy.”
“Hindi lang sa academics.”
Despite Ginebra holding a 2-1 advantage in the best-of-seven Finals, Abarrientos knows the series is far from over.
The former Far Eastern University standout expects TNT to come back with adjustments and believes Ginebra must be ready to respond if it hopes to move closer to the championship.
“Malayo pa,” he said. “Makakapag-adjust sila. Let’s see kung ano yung maia-adjust namin.”
For now, discussions about trophies and awards can wait.
Abarrientos may be leading the BPC race, but as far as he is concerned, the most important number is still four — the number of wins needed to bring another championship to Barangay Ginebra.
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