What made Peter June Simon, special for the Purefoods franchise?

 

It took Peter June Simon a week after the announcement that he is a free-agent to finally tell the public that he is hanging his sneakers.

Was his late announcement of retirement just a coincidence? That is not the question that we will try to answer in this article.

Peter June spent his entire career for a single franchise. And that franchise, Magnolia / Purefoods, will reward him by retiring his jersey. 

Unfortunately, that will not happen this year. The franchise has postponed his jersey retirement that was scheduled last May, 2020. 

At this point, the connection of Simon to the franchise of Magnolia is undeniable and so strong that he is easily deserving of jersey retirement.

But, what really made him special?

Was it about his looks? Knowing that the franchise has been home for some of the best good looking stars in the history of the league?

Was it about his scoring ability? Even though he was never tasked to be the main guy of the team for the entirety of a single conference.

I think, what made PJ special to Purefoods fans was his Silence Excellence which is I believe the spirit of the Purefoods franchise.

When he makes shots, you seldom see him react at all. When he gets bad calls, you seldom witness an argument between him and the referee. He is also not the kind of player that needs the fans to cheer for him to get going or to keep going. 

Yes. Basically, the antithesis to the Never Say Die Spirit of Ginebra. 

In a way, The Captain Alvin Patrimonio, James Yap, Rey Evangelista and Simon all have those qualities. The Magnolia / Purefoods believer loved them because they are the evidence that they/players can succeed, even without that Never Say Die Spirit.

He is one of the players that succeeded even without an obvious glimpse of that Never Say Die Spirit.