Rondae Hollis-Jefferson won’t ever hesitate to pick up the phone should NBA teams come calling for his services. It’s where he started, after all.
But at the same time, the nine-year pro has come to a point where he has learned how to appreciate what’s in front of him — and live in the moment.
“Right now, I’m in the era of appreciating the people that are right in front of me,” said the 29-year-old winger. “If the NBA calls, my agent calls and says, ‘Hey, the NBA wants to give you another chance,’ I’m ready.
“But I’m just going to continue to enjoy the people in front of me,” he added.
Hollis-Jefferson said as much when asked if an NBA comeback remains the goal after winning his second PBA championship by leading TNT past Barangay Ginebra in six to secure a Governors’ Cup back-to-back last Friday.
The former Arizona Wildcat has always been vocal about wanting another shot at the Association, like what he had said back in April of last year when he steered the Tropang Giga to the conference title — at the expense of the Kings, too.
“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,” RHJ was quoted as saying back then. “We’ll see how that all unfolds.”
Over a year later and now a two-time Best Import in Asia’s pioneering pro league, Hollis-Jefferson has taken a tad different position this time.
“It’s still the highest league in the world. It’ll always be in my mind. [But] I feel like at a point in your life, God puts you where you need to be,” said the 23rd overall pick by the Portland Trail Blazers in the 2015 Draft.
That’s probably something he’s discovered over the last three years, since last competing in the NBA, when he has played in different parts of the world.
After a season-long stint with the Blazers in 2021, fate would bring him to Turkey, Puerto Rico, South Korea, and to the Philippines. And all those stops have surely contributed to the actualization of sorts he’s in at the present.
Plus, outside of the NBA, Hollis-Jefferson has tasted the kind of success most hoopers could only wish for—from winning titles in this country to representing an entire nation on the global stage through Jordan.
For sure, that young kid from Chester, Pennsylvania with a dream would be beaming with so much pride if he sees how things would turn out.
“He puts you where you need to be. I think where we go wrong is we fight that,” he said. “We fight that, so we miss the little things, we miss the moments where we can enjoy and cherish the people that are right in front of you.”
