Bleachers' Brew #90 Being Danny Ildefonso

by rick olivares

(This appears in the Monday January 14, 2008 edition of the Business Mirror.)

His team, the Magnolia Beverage Masters was getting run off the court by the Sta. Lucia Realtors. He wondered how a powerful mix of veteran championship moxie and talented youth movement was being treated like nothing more than a midgets division team up against… a pro basketball club.

Danny Ildefonso, out with a chip fracture in his elbow, was seated behind the team bench. His clenched fingers dug into his shorts in a sign of abject agony and helplessness. He pointed, gestured animatedly, clapped and cheered to no avail. His team lost 99-77. It was an improbable thrashing and their worst effort of the tournament. And that night, even if he was in the injury list, Danny couldn’t sleep a wink.

You’d think that after 10 years in the Philippine Basketball Association, the 6’6” center from Urdaneta, Pangasinan would have learned to take losses in stride. But like his coaches, he stays up long into the wee hours of the morning psychoanalyzing himself on what went wrong and what he didn’t do. His wife of 11 years, Ren, then has to put on several hats – that of confidant, cheerleader, and shrink if she wants her husband (and herself) to get any sleep.

To know Danny Ildefonso is to know of a story of perseverance, lots of hard work, and blessings from above can make dreams can come true even to the most downtrodden of people.

His family were mostly absent during his formative years as they sought work outside the country. Raised by relatives, Danny grew up helping out with farm chores. Provincial life was simple, less complicated, and fun. Sure they were hard up (and that’s putting it mildly), but they got by. And that spurred a burning desire to get out of his surroundings. He saw many of his neighbors sit around, drink, and play cards all day while their wives did all the work. He made a promise to himself that if he ever got lucky enough to get a good job, he’d spend his free time with his family and his wife wouldn’t have to work.

It was while in high school that he got to see a basketball game on television that would forever change his life. It was the UAAP opening back when Silverstar Sports was covering the league. “Sabi ko sa sarili ko, ‘ano ‘tong mga para-parada na ‘to?’ Mula noon naging fan ako tapos hangad ko lang mag-UAAP,” says Danny of that definitive moment.

Ismael Oliver, a friend of his from Urdaneta who was taking up engineering in National University took him to the big city to try out for the Bulldogs. The team’s late coach Sonny Paguia was only too happy to take in the raw and gangly center. Having made a UAAP team, Ildefonso’s next goal along with fellow Pangasinense Lordy Tugade (who was from nearby Alaminos) was to beat the upper echelon teams. In one game, Tugade’s desperation three-pointer from some 70 feet out beat Ateneo. “Ang saya namin noon. Para kaming nanalo ng championship,” recalls Ildefonso of that most memorable game. “Pagbalik namin ng NU, nagaabang yung mga students at pinakain kami ng isang malaking plato ng pansit. Sorry kung mababaw but yun yata yung pinakamasarap na pansit na natikman ko.”

The accolades and championships that escaped him in NU came in the pros with San Miguel – his first and he hopes, his only team in the Philippine Basketball Association.

He’s now 31 years of age supposedly at the prime of his ball playing years. But he knows he logged thousands and thousands of miles in those legs having played competitively since he was 16 years old. The injuries have been frequent and so he takes great pains to keep in shape. But somehow at night, he still needs Ren to set him straight.

San Miguel is going through another transition of players. The core that won a bunch of titles in the late 1990’s and early 2000’s is still around yet is clearly winding down. A talented new crop has been brought in to infuse fresh blood and youthful enthusiasm and athleticism into the team – something that has not been lost on Ildefonso. “Ma,” he nervously sounds off to his wife who knows it’s time to don her cheerleading/psychologist’s hat. “Mas malakas and mabilis yung mga bago namin players. Baka hindi na ako kailangan ng team.”

“I have to constantly make Danny believe that he is a valuable asset of the team,” says Ren over some frapuccinos in Starbucks. “He always scans the stat sheet to see how he’s contributing to the team whether through points, rebounds, blocks or assists. Gusto niya maka-contribute. Kapag wala siyang nabibigay, down na down siya. Feeling niya hindi siya nakakatulong. He has this fear that he will not be able to provide for the family. But he has and we’ve saved enough to get us through even when he’s done playing basketball.”

Although signed all the way until 2010, Danny would love to play until he’s 37 years old. “Tama na ‘yun para sa akin. I feel I can still contribute up to that age,” he laughs. “But si Olsen (Racela who has been his teammate since he entered the league), parang Jaworski yan. Kaya niya yan all the way up to 40.”

New teammate Enrico Villanueva idolized Ildefonso back when he was still in high school and college and so it was an unreal moment for him when as a member of Red Bull he had a near ugly confrontation with the San Miguel center. “Heat of the moment lang yun,” parries Ildefonso who likes his teammate. “Pareho lang namin gusto manalo. But now same side kami so okay nga kapag nasa court kami pareho. Double trouble para sa kalaban.”

For now the Magnolia Beverage Masters have a 10-8 record and have gained at least a play-off for an outright quarterfinals berth. Coach Siot Tanquincen’s team has blown hot and cold with players in and out of sick bay and all the new faces trying to find their way in their game patterns. “Pag nagkaamuyan ng husto, mahihirapan yung mga kalaban namin,” warns Ildefonso who should rejoin the team come play-off time. “But sana makabalik na. Ang hirap nakaupo at hindi ka makatulong.”

Off the court, Danny has become a patron saint to all who pick up a basketball in Pangasinan. He is doing an Ismael Oliver by bringing in kids from his hometown to his alma mater where school officials hope that lightning will strike twice. “Eh, hindi ba ganun dapat ‘yan – home team tayo? Tulungan? If you can make a difference nga bakit hindi.”

You can take the boy out of Pangasinan, but you can’t take Pangasinan out of him.