Ildefonso season’s best

Danny Ildefonso, who turned a year older nine days ago, got a birthday gift of a lifetime, the Most Valuable Player award in glittering rites yesterday.

At the tender age of 24, Ildefonso bagged the biggest individual award in the Philippine Basketball Association, extending his birthday bash with the MVP trophy in his possession at the Araneta Coliseum.

"This has been my dream, but I didn’t think I will get it this soon," said the Urdaneta, Pangasinan native as he won the coveted award only in his third year in the league. "Ang sarap na pa-birthday at pa-Pasko na rin ito para sa akin."

Ildefonso, the 1998 Rookie of the Year awardee, emerged the runaway winner of the MVP derby, beating 1998 MVP Kenneth Duremdes, Danny Seigle, Rudy Hatfield and Bong Hawkins to become only the fourth center to win the award. Other slotmen before him to win the trophy were Ramon Fernandez, Abet Guidaben and Benjie Paras.

The former National University King Bulldog in the UAAP amassed 9,725 points while winning the statistical race and gaining the nod of the majority of his fellow players and the sportswriters who cover the PBA, beating his nearest rival– Duremdes– by nearly double of his output.

Duremdes gained 4,827 points while Seigle got 1,879, Hatfield 1,219 and Hawkins 1,150.

Aside from leading the Mythical Five Selection that included Duremdes, Seigle, Olsen Racela and Alvin Patrimonio, Ildefonso got another major award as he was also named the Governors Cup Best Player.

In the star-studded ceremonies held before Game Four of the Governors Cup Finals, other players who shared the spotlight were Davonn Harp, Mark Telan, Freddie Abuda, Dindo Pumaren, Jeffrey Cariaso, Marlou Aquino, Chris Jackson and Rey Evangelista.

Harp became the sixth Fil-Am player to win the Rookie of the Year honors after Ricky Brown in 1983, Willy Pearson in 1984, Cariaso in 1995, Andy Seigle in 1997 and his brother Dan last year.

Telan was named the Most Improved Player, Abuda Mr. Sportsmanship while Pumaren, Cariaso, Hawkins, Hatfield and Aquino comprised the Mythical Second Team. Pumaren, Abuda and Cariaso made it a double-victory as they also made it to the All-Defensive Team.