MANILA (UPDATED) - Scottie Thompson capped his finest individual campaign yet by earning Most Valuable Player honors in the PBA's 46th season.

The Barangay Ginebra guard received the league's top individual honor on Sunday afternoon at the Araneta Coliseum, as the PBA formally closed its previous season before opening the new one.

Thompson was the Best Player of the Conference in the 2021 PBA Governors' Cup, where he also won Finals MVP honors after leading Ginebra to another championship.

He edged TNT's Mikey Williams, who fell short of becoming only the second player in PBA history to pull off the Rookie of the Year-MVP double. Other contenders were NorthPort's Robert Bolick and Magnolia's Calvin Abueva, the BPC of the Philippine Cup.

"It means a lot sa akin," said Thompson, the fifth overall pick of the 2015 PBA Rookie Draft. "'Yung hard work ko, 'yung mga nangyari sa buhay ko, ang dami, 'di ba, on and off the court."

"Pero na-manage ko 'yung career ko, and through hard work, through discipline, and faith kay God, andito ako ngayon. Nakuha ko 'to. So sobrang blessed," he added.

Thompson is the first Ginebra player since Mark Caguioa in 2012 to win the PBA MVP award. The Ginebra guard actually ranked lowest statistically among MVP candidates, but his votes from the media, the Office of the Commissioner, and his fellow PBA players led to a runaway victory for Thompson. He had a total of 2836 votes, well ahead of TNT's Williams who placed second with 1332 votes.

Bolick placed third with 1295 votes, and Abueva was in fourth place with 1066 votes.

Joining Thompson in the PBA First Mythical Team are: TNT's Williams; San Miguel's June Mar Fajardo; Magnolia's Abueva; and NorthPort's Arwind Santos.

Making up the PBA's All-Defensive Team for Season 46 are: Cliff Hodge (Meralco); Santos (NorthPort); Kelly Williams (TNT); Jio Jalalon (Magnolia); and Chris Ross (San Miguel Beer).

Making up the PBA's Second Mythical Team are: Ian Sangalang (Magnolia); Christian Standhardinger (Ginebra); Matthew Wright (Phoenix Super LPG); Bolick (NorthPort); and CJ Perez (San Miguel Beer).

This is the first time that the PBA has held its Leo Awards since March 2020.