TNT Tropang 5G’s Calvin Oftana and San Miguel Beermen’s June Mar Fajardo during separate PBA Philippine Cup games. –MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net
MANILA, Philippines—TNT forward Calvin Oftana and San Miguel Beer star June Mar Fajardo share a bond that goes beyond the basketball court.
Sure, they’re Gilas Pilipinas teammates. Yes, they’re both Cebuanos. But their connection extends to the online world too, as fellow gamers.
SCHEDULE: 2025 PBA Philippine Cup Finals – San Miguel vs TNT
USAPANG… GILAS? 😅
WATCH: June Mar Fajardo and Calvin Oftana share a conversation before their duel in the #PBAFinals.
Both swingmen are also preparing to play with each other under Gilas Pilipinas for the upcoming Fiba Asia Cup. @INQUIRERSports pic.twitter.com/ptVd4Wg43H
— Rommel Fuertes Jr. (@MeloFuertesINQ) July 11, 2025
However, with the PBA Philippine Cup Finals fast approaching, that off-court camaraderie may have to be put on hold, much like matchmaking queues in a game of Call of Duty (COD).
“With me, I play computer to lessen my stress and thoughts of basketball just so I have a little layoff away from the game,” Oftana told Inquirer. “Pero ngayon, I think, ‘di muna kami maglalaro.”
READ: PBA: San Miguel not taking shorthanded TNT lightly in Finals
Fajardo, who even has a gaming channel on social media under the name “AHOS Gaming,” agreed and said that their COD session the day before might have been the last for a while.
“We even played yesterday. We played COD with some friends but outside of it, it’s really different,” said the reigning MVP. “We’re friends but on the court, it’s all business. Kala-kalaban muna.”
From ‘Call of Duty’ to national duty
TNT Tropang 5G’s Calvin Oftana and Roger Pogoy during the PBA Philippine Cup Finals press conference with San Miguel Beermen. –PBA IMAGES
The next two weeks will be a war of attrition: Fajardo, gunning for redemption with the Beermen, and Oftana, chasing a Grand Slam with TNT.
After that, they’ll reunite as teammates for Gilas Pilipinas in the 2025 Fiba Asia Cup in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
READ: Gilas Pilipinas ‘long list’ for Fiba Asia Cup only, says Tim Cone
The approach is simple—focus on the Finals first, then shift to Gilas, regardless of the outcome. But as Oftana admitted, it’s easier said than done.
“It’s really hard for me to have my focus divided but as of now, I want to focus on these Finals because that’s what’s here now,” said the former San Beda standout.
“This is what we’ve been working hard for. I’m not saying we didn’t work hard for Gilas but this is where all our challenges in the conferences are for with all that’s happened to us [TNT]. It’s hard to divide my focus but I really want to put my mind on these Finals.”
Fajardo, as always, was calm and all business.
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“I won’t be thinking of Gilas. This is our focus right now. This is the Finals,” said the PBA’s newest member of the 50 Greatest Players of All Time.
Game 1 tips off Sunday at Araneta Coliseum—and will be the first true test of where Fajardo and Oftana’s focus lies.
