FOR the fourth time in their careers, brothers Dave and Shaun Ildefonso find themselves on the same side again, now suiting up for the Abra Weavers in the 2026 MPBL season.
But unlike their previous stops - from the Ateneo Blue Eaglets to their National University run in Seasons 81 and 82 - they hope to do something different with the Weavers.
This time, they want to win together.
Dave, fresh off a championship run with Abra, opened their title defense with a steady all-around effort of 13 points, seven rebounds, and four assists.
READ: Fenner leads way as Abra Weavers run through Paranaque Patriots
Shaun, meanwhile, made his presence felt in his MPBL debut, tallying seven points, six rebounds, and two assists in a dominant 115-81 rout of Parañaque.
But beyond the numbers, it’s the shared journey that defines this chapter.
“Malaking blessing kasi pang-apat na naming time na maglaro together,” Dave told SPIN.ph.
“We grew up together pero hindi pa namin nagagawa yung manalo magkasama. So siyempre yun yung goal namin talaga,” he added.
That’s the part that lingers - the fact that despite years of playing side by side, success as a duo has remained elusive.
Their paths eventually split. Dave took his talents overseas, navigating the grind in Korean Basketball League, while Shaun carved his own road in the PBA.
Different routes, different lessons but both leading back to the same place.
Abra.
And this reunion didn’t happen by accident.
I feel you bro
Dave, along with their father two-time PBA MVP Danny Ildefonso, played a key role in bringing Shaun in especially during a time when the older Ildefonso was searching for clarity in his career.
The younger Ildefonso, of course, went through the same situation as his kuya -- languishing in the bench for his KBL team before being eventually released and finding love for the game again through Abra in the MPBL.
“Honestly, kami talaga ni tatay yung nagpupush sa kanya na sumali ng Abra,” Dave revealed.
“Nakita namin na gusto niya maglaro and I’ve been through that din yung hindi ka nakalaro masyado, narelease ka. So in a way, nararamdaman ko yung nararamdaman niya.”
For Dave, the MPBL wasn’t just another stop - it was the right path for Shaun to reset.
“Yung path na tinake niya ngayon to play in the MPBL with Abra is the right path again to find the love for the game and makalaro uli," he said.
For Shaun, it was an opportunity he couldn’t pass up especially with family calling.
“Sinasabi niya na talaga months ago na sumama na ako sa kanya,” Shaun also shared to SPIN.ph.
“With my situation with Rain or Shine, I had to look for options and I was really excited to play with Dave.”
Now, they’re not just teammates, they’re back to being constant companions, from workouts to practices, even sharing the same ride to games.
“Halos araw-araw kaming magkasama. Isang kotse lang kami papunta rito,” Shaun added.
Now older, more seasoned, and shaped by separate battles, the Ildefonso brothers return not as the same players they once were but as evolved versions of themselves.
“Different path kasi yung path namin pero blessing kasi,” Shaun said.
“Hopefully yung mga natutunan namin, ma-apply namin para makatulong sa Abra to win a championship.”
In a team already built on a winning culture, the brothers now carry a shared mission rooted in both family and unfinished business.
Because for all the times they’ve shared the court before, this might be the one that finally counts the most.
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