There is probably no player in the Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League (MPBL) happier than Mark Yee.

Yee reaped the rewards of his hard work as he helped lead the Davao Occidental Tigers in winning the coveted MPBL championship with three individual awards to boot.

The former PBA player won the Finals MVP honors after coming up clutch against defending champion San Juan Knights, knocking down the crucial three-pointer that wrapped up the best-of-five series in four games.

In the decisive Game 4 that went into overtime, Yee finished with 19 points, 12 rebounds, 3 assists, and 3 blocks in 35 minutes of play.

“Everything I worked hard for finally bore fruit,” Yee said in Filipino. “This is the reward that God gave me.”

Yee also raked in a couple of personal accolades behind his impressive regular season showing.

A contender for regular season MVP, Yee earned a selection to the All-MPBL First Team for the second straight season and took home the Defensive Player of the Year plum.

The championship and the awards only serve as a testament to the discipline and determination Yee shows despite being already 39 years old, Davao Occidental head coach Don Dulay said.

Yee is the second oldest player for the Tigers, behind only 40-year-old Jerwin Gaco.

“He deserves all the praise. If you’ve been with us since Day 1, he has been a leader. He is always the first in practice, he works so hard,” Dulay said about Yee.

“He shows everybody what it takes to be on that level.” – Rappler.com