| Name: | Peter June Simon |
| Jersey Number: | 8 |
| Team: | Derby
Ace |
| Birthdate: | 1980-06-01 |
| Birthplace: | Cebu City |
| Height: | 6'0" |
| Weight: | 180 lbs. |
| Position: | Guard |
| Draft(Year): | 43rd
overall by Sta. Lucia (2001) |
| College/University: | University of Mindanao |
Peter June Simon is a professional basketball player in the Philippine Basketball
Association playing for the Purefoods
Tender Juicy Giants. In the 2008 PBA All-Star Game, he was
voted as the Most Valuable Player.
CollegeTo the uninitiated, PJ Simon was a relatively unknown. But to the
hardcore basketball fans, and especially the Mindanao-based
aficionados, PJ Simon was one of the biggest collegiate basketball
heroes in Davao. He built his reputation as one the fiercest and most
exciting basketball warriors down south by joining in various
competitions and leaving his marks on them. He collected three Most
Valuable Player trophies in the collegiate leagues in Davao
City
[1] and reigned five times as the Sultan of Slams.
[2]Metropolitan
Basketball Association (MBA)Having created a status in various collegiate and commercial leagues
in Mindanao, PJ Simon was easily handpicked to be a part of the Davao
Eagles in the Metropolitan Basketball
Association
.
Although his career with the Eagles did not start well, he caught fire
as the 2001 MBA First Phase progressed. He was at the forefront of the
Eagles onslaught in several games. He once sparked a fourth-quarter
rally to upset the league-leading Negros Slashers
.
He engaged with Laguna Lakers' Biboy Simon in a fiery shootout
and at the same time registering his career-high 25 points
,Coming off the bench, he scored a new career-high 28 points as they
outclassed Nueva Ecija Patriots during which he
made five Blitz Three baskets in the game.
In his best outing as an Eagle, PJ Simon fired yet another new
career-high 41 points as he defied all guards thrown at him by the
Patriots at their own turf.
At the end of the season, PJ Simon's hard work and heroics on the
hardcourt paid off as he was named as the Discovery Player of the Year.
Also while playing in the MBA, he became a member of the Philippine
national basketball team. In his first stint with the tricolors, PJ
Simon scored 14 points to backup Reynel Hugnatan as the MBA All-Stars opened its 25th William Jones Cup campaign on a high note,
tripping the much taller Russian club Lokomotive Novosibirsk, 78-68, at
the Taipei Physical Education
College Gym.
Philippine
Basketball League (PBL)Following the disbandment of the MBA in July 2002, PJ Simon was
immediately enlisted by Dazz Dishwashing
Liquid, the Lamoiyan Corporation's Philippine Basketball League
franchise. In no time, he created a big mark in the star-studded 2002-03
PBL Challenge Cup. For his efforts, PJ Simon was selected into the
Second Mythical Team during the Individual Players Achievement Awards.
He also helped the team barge into the Finals. In his first PBL Finals
appearance, PJ Simon led Dazz in a losing cause by scoring 18 points as
they surrendered to the Welcoat Paintmasters in
overtime in Game 1 at the Quezon Convention Center in Lucena
City.
Although Dazz failed to win the title, a change of the team's name
had boded well for the Lamoiyan franchise's fortunes. Hapee Toothpaste
opened its championship run in the 2003 Sunkist PBL Unity Cup by
defeating Viva Mineral Water behind the
blazing guns of PJ Simon and Ryan Dy.
Then in the deciding Game 5 of Unity Cup finals, Hapee rode again on
the heroics of PJ Simon to capture the crown.
For that, he and teammate Rich
Alvarez were later awarded by the PBL Press Corps as co-Final MVPs.
In the 2003 PBL-CBF Dual Meet Finals, PJ Simon and Allan Salangsang combined for 35 points off the bench as
they powered Fash Liquid to beat Grachiya Energy Boosters, 86-76, at
the Cebu Coliseum.
The following conference, PJ Simon edged out other illustrious cagers
to bag the 2003-04 PBL Platinum Cup MVP with the print, radio, and TV
media solidly rallying behind him.
Joining PJ Simon in the Mythical Team were Jojo
Tangkay, Fash teammate Rich
Alvarez, and future Purefoods teammates James
Yap and Ervin Sotto. He also led his team in another
title, beating the Welcoat Paintmasters in a hotly-contested five-game
series.
Philippine Basketball
Association (PBA)While still playing for Fash in the PBL, Purefoods offered him a
two-year contract as a rookie free agent. He was actually drafted by the
Sta. Lucia Realtors as the forty-third overall pick
in the 2001 PBA Draft. He toiled for a while in the MBA and PBL
where he further enhanced his skills.
But like his stints in the MBA and PBL, his PBA career did not start
hot as he played behind fellow star rookie James
Yap. In Purefoods' seventh game in the One Philippines Cup,
however, PJ got his game going as he led Purefoods in a
come-from-behind win over Alaska, by scoring four of his team-high 18 points in
the final eleven seconds of the game.
[50][51]In his first three seasons in the PBA, PJ Simon only showed flashes
of his brilliance far and wide. In the 2007 PBA Fiesta Cup, he was named
Accel PBA Player of the Week for the period May 6 to 13.
He came up with a team-high 22 points in a game against Coke on May 4
then on May 13, he exploded for PBA career-high 31 points and also
grabbed 10 rebounds to lead Purefoods in routing Ginebra, 117-105.
The 33rd season of the
PBA proved to be the coming-out party for PJ Simon. While he was still
in the giant shadow of his more famous teammates, he created his niche
by being the super sub for his team. As Purefoods set a franchise-record
of 7-0 to start a season, PJ was the biggest hero in two of those wins.
He scored 15 of his game-high 27 points in the first quarter to lead
Purefoods to its fifth straight win as they massacred Ginebra, 103-76,
on November 4, 2007.
Then ten days later, he once more top scored Purefoods by making 22
points in their 100-81 rout on Air21, tying the franchise's best
to start in the All-Filipino.
In the Finals, PJ Simon had four scintillating games. Purefoods lost
however to Sta. Lucia in seven games. But nevertheless, PJ Simon
averaged 13.3 points to firmly establish himself as Purefoods' primary
offensive off the bench.
2008 PBA All-Star GameOwing to his impressive performance in the 2007-08 PBA
Philippine Cup, he was selected in a reserve role to take part in
the All-Star
Game held in Bacolod City. And PJ did not disappoint those
who thrust him into that position as he made the most out of the
opportunity. Although he only played for 20 minutes, he scored 29 points
on 11-of-14 field goals and 4-of-4 on the line to tow the South team in
a thrilling victory in overtime over the North squad, 163-158. With
that, he was cited as the Most Valuable Player, his first major PBA
award.
PersonalPJ Simon is the youngest in the brood of three of Pedro Simon, Jr., a
teacher and the late Cristina. PJ is the only athlete in the family,
although his father played some basketball but not in the commercial
leagues. After his mother succumbed to cancer, his father remarried.
From his father and stepmother Flor, Simon has a half-brother and a
half-sister.
His older siblings are Maricris and Anthony, both have families of
their own and are based in Mindanao.
PJ Simon and Charisma Peña of Northwest Airways have dated.
PJ Simon is a member of Victory.
Along with close friend and Purefoods teammate James
Yap, PJ Simon guested at ABS-CBN's Pinoy Big Brother on April 23, 2008.
Subject: PJ SimoN 
Mon Jul 12, 2010 1:04 am
