Little did Rondae Hollis-Jefferson know that a brief vacation in the Philippines would eventually lead him to the kind of success he had always wanted to taste.
The former NBA player helped TNT on Friday night to win the PBA Governors’ Cup championship, overthrowing Barangay Ginebra’s two-year reign and giving himself his first-ever title in the professional ranks.
It was a fitting end to a months-long stay in the country, which wasn’t originally part of the plan. After all, he was just there for a quick vacation.
Hollis-Jefferson was in Boracay last January to maximize his short break from the Korean Basketball League (KBL). However, he was already searching for other options at that time given his situation with his then-ball club.
The 28-year-old was not utilized much by Jeonju KCC, only seeing action for 11.5 minutes per night. Instead, he found himself buried under a frontcourt rotation that featured Ra Gunah (Ricardo Ratliffe) and locals Lee Seonghyun and Heo Ung.
It also didn’t help that the KBL has a rule that only one import is allowed on the floor, although he still tried to contribute with 10.1 points and 3.8 rebounds.
(C) KBL
“We had five days off in Korea so I was just looking for places to go and I just happened to end up in Boracay. Things weren’t working out in Korea so I talked to my agent and asked, ‘Hey is there anything else available?’
“That’s when the PBA thing kind of came about,” recalled Hollis-Jefferson, who eventually asked Jeonju for a release that ended his 38-game stint.
Soon, he found himself signing up with the Tropang Giga as a mid-conference replacement for Jalen Hudson, the team’s original import.
Head coach Jojo Lastimosa still remembers how everything happened that led to the partnership. And he couldn’t feel happier about how the Pennsylvania native’s arrival made the team ‘so much better’ – and led to them striking gold.
Their 97-93 win in Game 6 of the Finals saw the reigning Best Import deliver 29 points and 14 rebounds, together with six assists and two steals.
(C) PBA Images
“The first thing he said to me was, ‘Coach, I want to play, I need playing time.’ Because he only played for 10 minutes in Korea,” recalled the cage legend. “During the first practice, being an NBA vet, you couldn’t see any arrogance on his part.
“He just bonded with the players right away. With a calm demeanor, he is not loud, which is really nice. He is calm, which actually brought calmness to the team. That’s really huge,” Lastimosa continued.
“And, more than anything for him as a basketball player, I think his demeanor, his personality, it just made the team so much better.”
Lastimosa and TNT are, of course, hoping to have him back for another run, but they also support his plans of going back to where he began: the NBA.
Selected by the Portland Trail Blazers with the 23rd overall pick in 2015, the former Arizona Wildcat is not closing his doors on a PBA return. Still, he made it known that his goal, for now, is to make it back to the Association.
“I would love to play here again, but I don’t know what the future holds. I’m definitely going to take another shot at playing in the NBA again,” said Hollis-Jefferson. “We’ll see how that all unfolds.
And in that bid, he’ll be carrying the experience he garnered in leading TNT to its second PBA championship in five conferences.
“I think for my experience, to be able to help a team win a championship, contribute in a big way, leadership role, coaching on the floor, kind of being that guy for our team. I think that helps going to any league,” he said.
“I was a role player once before. Now, I know how to lead a team,” the six-year NBA veteran added.
“Just showing people I’m able to do whatever they need me to do. I think that’s the big thing about making the transition.”
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The 2023 PBA Governors Cup Finals is live-streamed on SMART Sports.
