Don't call it a comeback

Danny Ildefonso has found a new home in the PBA.

The former two-time PBA Most Valuable Player, now near the twilight of his illustrious basketball career, was left homeless early in the on-going PBA Philippine Cup after his team of xx years-- the Petron Blaze Boosters (former San Miguel Beermen) decided not to renew his contract. To his rescue are the Boosters' umbrella corporation rivals, Team Manny V. Pangilinan by way of the Meralco Bolts which were lacking in skilled, post players.

In a match seemingly made in heaven, Ildefonso had a successful debut last Saturday for the Bolts (winning 92-88 in overtime over the Air21 Express) finishing with 14 points, 6 rebounds and 5 assists on top of setting brilliant screens and picks for his shooters and just working like the skilled veteran he is off-the-ball.
But more than the numbers, it's Ildefonso's presence on the Bolts' roster that is going to prove the one-conference contract acquisition of the Bolts to be one of the biggest bargains today (his former Beermen running buddy Danny Seigle being another). Where else can you find a traditional, 6"6 back-to-the-basket power forward/ center, armed with a lethal and steady jumpshot (which extends all the way out to a spin/shimmy fade away) and is NOT a head case or is just willing to be "one of the guys" despite his glorious resume?

Right now, you're looking at Ildefonso joining Reynel Hugnatan, Don Allado, Cliff Hodge, James Sena and Rabeh Al Hussaini (jury's out if Kerby Raymundo will ever suit up) to form the Bolts' fortified frontline. Hugnatan is under-sized but solid while the rest are not as up to par as the man they call "Demolition Danny." Allado has found it hard to stay relevant outside of Twitter, Hodge is recovering from injury (while still looking like a loose cannon out to hurt himself and others on the floor with his raw skillset), Sena is "slowly" finding a niche as a back-up PBA big man while Al Hussaini is, well, Ildefonso's biggest pet project.

And that's where the Ildefonso signing may very well prove to move up from being a bargain, to being a complete steal.

Al Hussaini has all the tools to dominate the pros despite the presence of near seven footers. He has the size, range, skills and footwork to score on a variety of ways inside the paint akin to all the great Filipino big men of yesteryears (Ildefonso included). What he doesn't seem to have is the right mindset in approaching the game. He hasn't caused any drama for the Bolts so far, but he has been very inconsistent (in the first Ginebra game he looked like a beast, the next few, a total dud).

That's where Ildefonso's work ethic comes in.

This is the same guy who, after winning PBA Rookie of the Year in 1998 as a skinny kid no bigger than maybe a Gabby Espinas (size-wise), drastically changed his diet and training regimen just the next year to look and play like a never-before seen PBA macho man (in Filipino terms, you'd call him Adonis or Machete).

Then again, if Al Hussaini proves to be content with where he is in his PBA career (unlike Ildefonso-protege Junemar Fajardo), we certainly wouldn't mind seeing more of Ildefonso playing for the Bolts say, 20 to 25 minutes per game.

The ride's not over yet, who knows, maybe down the line we'll still get to see a San Miguel jersey #10 retirement (and/ or reunion).

In the words of countless sports-entertainment fans whenever a semi-retired professional makes a comeback:

"YOU STILL GOT IT *clap*clap*clapclapclap*"