Shall we call him playing-coach Danny I?
Two-time PBA MVP and and eight-time PBA champion Danny Ildefonso is unretiring to suit up for the Converge FiberXers, the same team where he is currently serving as assistant coach.
One of the 40 PBA Greatest Players, Ildefonso is making a comeback to the hardcourt after 8 years in retirement. He last played for the Meralco Bolts in 2015.
Converge used its 15th local player roster spot to activate the three-time PBA Finals MVP, as the Aldin Ayo-mentored squad seeks to make noise in the PBA Governors’ Cup playoffs.
As of writing, the FiberXers share the number 4 spot with the NLEX Road Warriors in the standings, sharing an identical 6-3 record.
The activation of Ildefonso also paves the way for a unique achievement, where a father and son are both playing in the PBA at the same time. Danny I's eldest son, Shaun Ildefonso, currently plays for the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters. The younger Ildefonso is averaging 6.0 points and 2.7 assists.
There have been other father-son tandems who were in the league at the same time, but in different capacities. Most notable is PBA legend Robert Jaworski and his son and namesake, Robert "Dodot" Jaworski Jr., who played together at Barangay Ginebra San Miguel. Leo Austria and Bacon Austria also shared the league limelight, but as coach and player with the San Miguel Beermen. Like the Austrias, Norman Black and son Aaron of the Meralco Bolts form another father-son, coach-player duo.
The top pick of the 1998 PBA Draft, the icon nicknamed "Demolition Man" continues the basketball legacy he left. Ildefonso was once the franchise player of the Beermen in the 2000s, leading them to eight championships. He is also a former Rookie of the Year, five-time Best Player of the Conference, and eight-time All-Star.