Peter June Simon

Peter June Libo-on Simon (born June 1, 1980) is a Filipino former professional basketball player.

He has formerly played in the Philippine Basketball Association, playing for 16 years with the Magnolia Hotshots franchise.

Simon was drafted 43rd overall in the 2001 PBA draft by the Sta. Lucia Realtors.

His moniker is Scoring Apostle.

Simon was relatively unknown in the Philippine college basketball scene.

But to hardcore basketball fans, and especially the Mindanao-based fans, Simon was one of the biggest collegiate basketball heroes in Davao.

Born in Makilala, Cotabato, he built his reputation as one of the fiercest and most exciting basketball warriors down south by joining in various competitions and leaving his marks on them.

He collected three MVP trophies in the collegiate leagues in Davao City and reigned five times as the Sultan of Slams.

Having created a status in various collegiate and commercial leagues in Mindanao, 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, Simon fired yet another new career-high 41 points as he was simply unstoppable.

At the end of the season, Simon's hard work and heroics on the court 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.

He was actually drafted by the Sta. Lucia Realtors as the 43rd 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.

Following the disbandment of the MBA in July 2002, 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, he 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.

While still playing for Fash in the PBL, Purefoods offered him a two-year contract as a rookie free agent.

In Purefoods' seventh game in the 2004–05 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.

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 2007–08 season proved to be the coming-out party for Simon.

In his first stint with the national team, 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.