Meralco beefs up frontline, signs lldefonso

MANILA, Philippines - Danny Ildefonso, a San Miguel Beerman/ Petron Blaze Booster through his first 15 PBA seasons, will don a new jersey for what could be his farewell performance with the Meralco team, which signed him yesterday to a contract for the rest of the Philippine Cup.

The Bolts acquired the 37-year-old two-time MVP winner as an unrestricted free agent since the former NU Bulldog was no longer signed by Petron Blaze at the end of the 2012-13 PBA season.

Meralco coach Ryan Gregorio believes Ildefonso, despite his health woes in recent past and long layoff, would still be an asset especially at this time when the Bolts are slowed down by injuries to key players.

Ildefonso was acquired specifically to fill in Meralco’s gaping holes on its frontline.

“His presence will give us more ceiling and maturity,” said Gregorio.

“I honestly believe that Danny I still has what it takes to compete at a high level in the PBA. He has been aching for teams to give him a venue to display what he has, and we are more than willing to provide him with the platform,” Gregorio also said.

“He has championship experience and high basketball intelligence -- things that you can not teach as a basketball coach, but you learn through time as a basketball player,” Gregorio added.

Gregorio also looks at Ildefonso as someone who can inspire or be a good role model to his teammates.

“With DI on board, he gives us a positive perspective on how to win games whether he plays or just by being on the bench. He will definitely improve our locker room atmosphere just by his mere positive attitude,” Gregorio pointed out.

Ildefonso isn’t the oldest but the longest tenured player among the present PBA crop.

He joined the pro league as Shell’s top draft pick in 1998 before he subsequently traded to San Miguel Beer for second pick Noy Castillo plus, according to reports then, cash consideration.

Just in his third season in the PBA, he won the MVP plum in 2000 then again the following year, thus becoming only the third player in history to win the coveted individual award in back- to-back fashion after Bogs Adornado and Alvin Patrimonio.

He’s an eight-time PBA champion and eight- time PBA All-Star, winning the All-Star Game MVP award in 2001.

He’s also donned the national jersey, a part of the Phl team that narrowly missed the gold-medal game in the 2002 Busan Asian Games.