Dave Ildefonso Didn’t Plan This Path — Now He’s Making the Most of It

Dave Ildefonso’s basketball journey was never supposed to look like this.

He was a star guard during his time in the UAAP which allowed him to get recruited by Suwon KT Sonicboom in the KBL in Korea. After returning home, he was drafted in the PBA before making the transition to the MPBL with the Abra Weavers.

Each stop has come with its own expectations and challenges. Some were part of the plan, but others simply happened along the way.

But as Ildefonso looks back at everything that has happened since his collegiate days, he wouldn’t change a thing.

“Halos hindi eh,” Ildefonso said when asked if he ever imagined his career unfolding this way. “Siguro lahat naman tayo yung mga plano natin, one way or another hindi nasunod eh yung mga ibang aspects.”

“All my decisions have led me here, and lahat nung mga ginawa ko nung past ko, kumbaga journey ko yun eh. So I would not change anything. Eto na yung journey ko ngayon, eto yung path ko, so what I have to do is to make the most of who I am right now.”

That mindset has become increasingly important as he enters another chapter in his basketball career. Ildefonso is one of the key pieces of the Abra Weavers, the reigning Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League champions who have taken their talents onto the international basketball stage with the East Asia Super League (EASL) for the first time.

It is another level of competition and another opportunity to find out what he can become as a basketball player. And once again, Ildefonso is stepping outside his comfort zone.

Ildefonso’s growth as a basketball player

The Abra Weavers’ star guard had already experienced the pressure of being a highly regarded basketball player long before he arrived in Abra.

At Ateneo, he played under the bright lights of the UAAP and carried the expectations that came with being one of the country’s most recognizable young basketball talents as well as being a son of a basketball legend in Danny Ildefonso. He was expected to contribute, make plays, and eventually take on bigger responsibilities as his career progressed.

Then came his time in Korea, a chapter that became one of the most important experiences of his basketball journey.

“Oo naman, yung time ko talaga sa Korea is such a blessing, kasi hinubog talaga ako doon, yung training, experience, and competition – kumbaga na-expose ako sa higher level of basketball,” Ildefonso said.

For a player who had spent most of his life developing within the Philippine basketball system, being placed in a different environment forced him to adjust.

The training and competition was different, and even the culture surrounding basketball itself was something else. And that was exactly the point.

“[Kasi] If stuck ka sa confines ng Pilipinas, iba yung culture natin sa basketball training and everything, pero pag once you step out of your comfort zone, dun ka talaga mag-grow.”

Ildefonso believes that experience helped him grow into the player he eventually became, even if it did not necessarily produce the numbers or the on-court success he may have wanted at the time. Instead, it gave him something much more valuable: perspective.

“I think I was able to grow – although hindi lang napakita sa performance ko dun [Korea] during my time there – I think what I learned during that time has carried me throughout the years.”

But sometimes, development is not immediately visible. A player can leave an experience without the statistics to prove that it was successful, yet still carry lessons that become valuable years later.

For Ildefonso, that experience prepared him for another unexpected turn.

Finding his place in Abra and competing in the EASL

After his stint in Korea, Ildefonso eventually found himself getting drafted in the PBA as the 5th overall pick. But after a couple twists and turns, he has found himself a home in the MPBL with Abra.

The league gave him the opportunity to play a bigger role in a team and take on more responsibility, which allowed him to establish himself in a professional environment while continuing to chase the next step in his career.

Then came the opportunity for the Weavers to join the EASL. And suddenly, Ildefonso was preparing to compete against teams from across the region.

For Abra, this isn’t just a tournament– it is a chance to prove that the reigning MPBL champions belonged on an international stage. And Ildefonso believes they do.

“Tiwala naman ako sa sistema namin and sistema ni Coach Yong [Garcia] and yung mga recruitment ng players nila Cong. JB [Bernos],” he said.

“I know na etong EASL tournament is highly-touted and very competitive. Kita naman natin yung mga past PBA teams na they really had a tough time playing against other countries.”

The challenge to compete was obvious, but so was Ildefonso’s confidence in the team. “Pero malaki ang tiwala ko sa team ko, and andito kami lahat para mag-compete and para mapakita namin na di kami replacement kumbaga – na chosen pa rin kami dito to compete.”

There was no desire to simply participate. Ildefonso and Abra wanted to prove that they  deserved to be there. “Alam namin na we’re here because we deserve to be here. Sinasabi namin sa sarili namin na we belong here, and we have to show it sa mga games.”

They got their first opportunity to do exactly that in Cebu.

Abra opened its EASL campaign with a 79-72 victory over Hong Kong Eastern, surviving a late push from the Hong Kong side to begin its regional campaign with a win.

Ildefonso started the game and finished with nine points, but his role went beyond scoring. He was constantly trying to make the right play, balancing his own offensive opportunities with his responsibility to create for his teammates. 

As one of the team’s primary options, there are nights when Abra needs him to score. There are possessions when the ball is in his hands and the team expects him to create. There is also the responsibility of making sure the players around him remain involved.

The importance of understanding his role

Yet Ildefonso doesn’t see being the star as meaning he has to do everything himself.

He still views basketball through the same lens he always has.

“For me, I have always thought of basketball as a team sport eh,” he said. “Kahit sabihin ng mga tao na ikaw tinitignan nila, na ikaw yung star player – malaki pa rin yung responsibility mo to involve your teammates and help them get better.”

Perhaps the biggest adjustment that comes with becoming a team’s primary option is the responsibility to make the team better and not just improve your individual performance

“No matter what my role is talaga – it’s to win,” Ildefonso said. “Whatever I need to do in that situation, in that possession, or in that game – I’ll do it.”

Ildefonso’s mentality becomes more important as Abra tries to compete at a higher level. In the EASL, the Weavers need everyone to contribute against teams with deeper international experience.

And having a player who understands that responsibility gives Abra another advantage: that their job is ultimately tied to winning and doing what it takes to win.

That goal is also what continues to motivate him as he looks toward the next stage of his career.

The looming PBA opportunity

The PBA has been sitting on the horizon for Ildefonso for some time.

He was drafted in 2024 and has yet to play a game in the league, but his connection to the Converge FiberXers remains.

For now, there is no rush to force the next chapter. If his journey has taught him anything, it is that plans can change quickly.

“Hopefully, tignan natin,” Ildefonso said when asked when he will finally make the jump to the PBA. “Yung mga plano natin pwede mag-change anytime eh. Pero ako siyempre, Converge [PBA] is still with me, and hopefully maging maganda yung transition ko into the big league soon.”

Ildefonso revealed he actually has an agent in Korea, but for now, he has chosen not to pursue another overseas opportunity because the PBA is the goal.

“Actually for now, may agent ako sa Korea and sinabihan ko na wag muna maghanap kasi eto nga, may PBA na nag-aantay, may commitment ako.”

But before making that eventual jump, his focus is on Abra. And before he leaves, he wants to win yet another title. “Yan talaga yung goal ko, importante talaga sakin na mag-champion ako,” Ildefonso said. “Kasi winner talaga ako eh, and gusto ko talaga manalo.”

The MPBL itself has become increasingly competitive, something Ildefonso recognizes as more young talent continues to enter the league. “Especially this year na ito, I think it’s the best MPBL year in a while, kasi andaming mga young bloods na pumasok – madaming mga former UAAP players and mga highly-touted recruits.”

For him, winning in an increasingly competitive league would make the accomplishment even more meaningful. “To be able to win in a better and more competitive year in the MPBL is maganda para sakin.”

Then there is also the EASL. If Abra can make noise against some of the best teams in the region, it would give Ildefonso another accomplishment to take with him into the next stage of his career.

Being shaped by everything he has experienced

But perhaps more importantly, it would add another chapter to a journey that he never expected to have.

When he reminisces about the journey he’s had over the course of the years, Ildefonso sees more than a series of basketball stops: he sees experiences that shaped him.

“Yung na-learn ko talaga playing here in Abra is yung buhay – mga plano mo sa buhay – hindi pa rin set yun eh, no matter how set you think it is,” he said.

“There’s always something around the corner that could be good or bad for you, which is a decision that will be up to you to make.”

The realization explains why he has embraced every twist in his career. He didn’t plan on everything that happened, but he made decisions along the way, accepted every new challenge, and kept moving forward.

“Yung journey ko na napunta ako sa Korea, napunta ako sa MPBL, nagpa-draft ako sa PBA, then ngayon naglalaro na ako sa EASL – alam mo yun, parang ang daming nangyari sakin na parang di ko naman akalain mangyari.”

If Ildefonso’s journey has taught him anything, it is that the path does not have to be perfect to be meaningful. Sometimes, the detours are what makes the player into who he is today.

“[Overall] I think blessing pa rin yun kasi I was shaped by those experiences into what I am right now.”