PASAY CITY (Philippines) - It was only a few years ago when Justin Arana, then a wide-eyed youngster who has just made the leap to the professional ranks, drew comparisons to June Mar Fajardo.
Now, he has the honor to call the veteran internationalist a teammate after being the latest addition to the Philippines' men's team, brought in at a time when the program is gradually entering a major shift.
"I feel so blessed that I get to be playing with them, most especially 'Kuya' June Mar," the 27-year-old bruiser reflected. "Because he's really the one I've been looking up to so much, since I was still in high school."
Arana was actually added to the growing Gilas pool just days before Window 4 of the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2027 Asian Qualifiers tipped off, paving the way for him and Fajardo to link up for the first time ever.
Eventually, he'd get named to the final 12-man lineup bound to face Iran as a substitute for the injured Carl Tamayo, officially forming a frontcourt partnership with his hero - and somebody he got likened to.
"Smaller June Mar"
Back in 2022, the Bicol-native made his Philippine Basketball Association (PSA) debut when his Converge FiberXers squared off against the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters, although they ended up losing narrowly, 79-77.
Yet the then-rookie served as one of the few bright spots for a franchise that also played its first game in the league, submitting a full line of 6 points, 9 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal, and 3 blocks in 27 minutes.
And in only his first PBA game, he drew praises right away, with opposing center Beau Belga - himself a former member of the Gilas program - comparing Arana to Fajardo in terms of skill set and toughness.
"He knows how to use his body, actually," he was quoted as saying in Filipino. "He knows how to play physically. He's a smaller version of June Mar. If he had grown a few inches in height, he'd be similar to June Mar."
"He's a smaller version of June Mar."
Needless to say, it's a lofty comparison given that Fajardo is the league's only 9-time Most Valuable Player. But Arana has since proven himself worthy, having emerged as one of the PBA's best bigs today.
He actually earned Rookie of the Year honors and earned a Mythical Second Team citation in 2025 before making his first All-Star appearance the following year. Soon, he's set for his much-awaited national team debut.
Being added to the pool is actually nothing new to Arana. In fact, when he was picked 4th overall during the 2022 PBA Rookie Draft, he was among the 5 players eyed by then Gilas coach Chot Reyes to be brought in.
Next in line?
It took some four years for that to materialize, though, and with a different man at the helm. And his inclusion happened while this present batch being mentored by Tim Cone is in the middle of a transition of sorts.
He's the latest to be brought into the present-day pool after his Converge teammates Juan Gomez de Liano and Justine Baltazar, who was called back after years early in the ongoing World Cup Qualifiers.
His addition has coincided with the imminent retirement of Fajardo in international play. The 36-year-old was all set to call it quits after Window 3 last July, but deferred his plans after some plea from Cone and the bosses.
But from the looks of it, Fajardo could really be hanging it up after Window 4, which if he does would mark the end of a 13-year Gilas career highlighted by 3 World Cup appearances and a FIBA Asia Cup silver medal.
And if ever, he'd become the next program cornerstone to end his national team career after Japeth Aguilar, who took his final bow back in Window 1 last November where they completed a 2-game sweep of Guam.
It's quite a pressure-filled situation for Arana and he, too, acknowledges as much, for he knows how massive the expectations could get, given the kind of impact Fajardo had during his time playing for flag and country.
"It's everything"
Surely, much of the attention will be on him and the other big men, with fans and observers alike out to scrutinize whether or not they could be as commendable as their seniors - or perhaps become even better.
There's so much pressure, he knows, but Arana is embracing the opportunity to get himself prepared for whatever may happen in the future, one of which is by picking the brains of 'Abai' and the rest of the squad.
"It's really a great deal for me to become teammates with him. Because all the lessons I have been and I could learn from him, especially in every practice, I can bring it with me moving forward to my career," he said.
Still, Arana isn't forgetting to enjoy and soak in the whole experience of playing for Team Pilipinas, which he could be doing for years to come.
"It's everything for me," he said. "This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. I'm just really thankful that I got called up. I vow to put in the work and give my 100-percent so I can get used to international basketball."
"This is really good for my career as well, because I could learn so much despite being undersized for my position. All the experiences I could gain from this will surely benefit me and my career," Arana added.
FIBA