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Ateneo's Dave Ildefonso celebrates during their UAAP Season 85 game against the De La Salle Green Archers at the Araneta Coliseum in Quezon City on November 5, 2022. George Calvelo, ABS-CBN News
Dave Ildefonso believes his decision to play in the Korean Basketball League (KBL) will benefit not just him but other stakeholders of Philippine basketball in the long run.
Ildefonso, 22, is the latest Filipino player to take his talents abroad, opting to join KBL side Suwon KT Sonicboom rather than declare for the PBA Rookie Draft.
He is the seventh Filipino to become an Asian quota player in the KBL. A handful are playing in Japan's B.League as local stars continue to explore options outside of local professional leagues.
"When the opportunity to play in Korea opened itself up to me, I was overwhelmed with mixed emotions -- excitement, fear," Ildefonso said in an Instagram post, a day after he was formally announced as the latest Sonicboom player.
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"But that is a healthy fear. It is the kind of fear that, when you overcome it, will make you better and stronger. So I asked myself what's best not just for me but for my family and people around me," he added.
The former Ateneo de Manila University standout explained that while playing abroad will certainly be a challenge, it is one that he embraces wholeheartedly.
He believes that his decision will work out not just for him, but even for Gilas Pilipinas and for other up-and-coming basketball players.
"I believe that my stint in Korea will not only benefit me but will give my family pride," said Ildefonso.
"It will be great for both our national basketball program and our professional league for young guys like me to experience first-hand the basketball culture of other countries, and eventually share that knowledge back home," he added.
"It will be great for basketball fans too, they can watch as we try to prove we can play with the best in our continent."
It remains to be seen when Ildefonso will make his debut. Suwon will play Jeonju KCC Aegis on Tuesday, where they will try to regain their winning ways in the 2022-23 KBL season.
They are currently seventh in the league standings with a 13-16 win-loss record.
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