Danilo Cabonitalla Ildefonso was born on December 9,1976 and is a Filipino former professional basketball player.
28 Facts About Danny Ildefonso
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Danny Ildefonso currently serves as an assistant coach for both the Converge FiberXers of the Philippine Basketball Association and the NU Bulldogs of the UAAP.
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Danny Ildefonso is one of the few PBA players to have won all three major MVP awards in the league: regular season, finals, and all-star game MVP.
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Danny Ildefonso was picked 1st overall in the 1998 PBA draft and the 2014 PBA Expansion Draft, becoming the only player in the PBA to be drafted first-overall two times and being drafted first-overall in the draft and the expansion draft.
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Danny Ildefonso played amateur basketball for the National University Bulldogs in the UAAP and for AGFA in the Philippine Basketball League and a member of the Philippine national basketball team on several occasions.
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Danny Ildefonso started his PBA career in 1998, when he was drafted by Formula Shell.
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Danny Ildefonso spent one season with Meralco before being released to the 2014 Expansion Draft.
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However, Blackwater Elite who drafted him, did not sign him because of contract problems, stating that Danny Ildefonso is expecting too much salary on the team.
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Danny Ildefonso defended himself stating that his wage with the team is very low.
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Danny Ildefonso was discovered after suiting up for his native Pangasinan in the Palarong Pambansa.
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Danny Ildefonso played for the NU Bulldogs in the UAAP, teaming up with fellow Pangasinense and later-AGFA and San Miguel teammate Lordy Tugade, leading the Bulldogs to respectable finishes in the UAAP.
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Danny Ildefonso later played for AGFA in the Philippine Basketball League but had a difficult time leading the Photokina franchise to the title, losing to Tanduay in championship matches.
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Danny Ildefonso was regarded as the second-best big man of his class behind Rommel Adducul, and was highly sought after by then-SMB coach Ron Jacobs after seeing the potential in his rail-thin frame.
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Danny Ildefonso was involved in some controversy after signing with the now-defunct Pangasinan Presidents of the MBA, having a live contract with AGFA and at the same time being selected in the draft.
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Danny Ildefonso led the Philippines to a gold-medal in 1997 Southeast Asian Games alongside Rommel Adducul and Ralph Rivera.
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Danny Ildefonso was eventually drafted first-pick overall by Formula Shell in the 1998 PBA draft, but was traded to San Miguel for the Beermen's second overall pick, Noy Castillo, and cash.
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Danny Ildefonso won the two of the five straight Best Player of the Conference honors and defeated Seigle to win the Most Valuable Player Awards.
18.
Lucia in the Commissioner's Cup and Governor's Cup finals series, Danny Ildefonso went on to sweep the Best Player of the Conference honors and won his second Most Valuable Player Award, joining Bogs Adornado and Alvin Patrimonio as the only players to win the said award on back-to-back seasons.
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Danny Ildefonso won the All-Star Game MVP honors for the victorious Veterans team.
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In 2002, Danny Ildefonso temporary left San Miguel to join the Philippine National Training Pool in the preparation for the 2002 Asian Games in Busan.
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Danny Ildefonso went on to join the team for the event but struggled throughout the Asiad, mainly due to his role of playing small forward, instead of his natural position of power forward.
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Danny Ildefonso returned to the Beermen in the All-Filipino Cup but the Beermen placed only third in the said tournament.
23.
Danny Ildefonso played one of his best games of the tournament, and hit numerous clutch shots in the tournament, including a series-clinching game-winning fade away over the outstretched arms of Red Bull import Earl Barron to lead San Miguel to the finals against the Talk 'N Text Phone Pals.
24.
Team sources revealed Danny Ildefonso has indeed been released by Petron after 15 years of playing in his mother team.
25.
Danny Ildefonso 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 opportunity.
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Danny Ildefonso was eventually drafted by debuting expansion team Blackwater Elite as first pick overall, making him the only player in the PBA to be drafted first-overall two times and being drafted first-overall in the draft and the expansion draft.
27.
On March 2,2023, while being an assistant coach for the Converge FiberXers, Danny Ildefonso was activated as their 15th local player in the lineup, thus confirming his official comeback in the PBA.
28.
Danny Ildefonso is currently serving as a Barangay Captain in his hometown and is currently running for councilor of Urdaneta, Pangasinan in the 2025 Philippine general election.