The fears of both Meralco and TNT have come true.
Rondae Hollis-Jefferson has suffered a torn Achilles in his right leg, an injury that will sideline him for at least one year.
The 6-foot-6 import, who suits up for the Meralco Bolts in the EASL and the TNT Tropang 5G in the PBA, sustained the injury last Saturday during the Bolts’ game against the Macau Black Bears at The Capital Arena in Ilagan, Isabela.
Meralco team manager Paolo Trillo confirmed the development to Tiebreaker Times.
“Rondae is a great person and has been an incredible teammate. Our thoughts and prayers are with him, and our focus now is on his immediate treatment and recovery,” said Trillo.
(C) EASL
With 5:37 left in the third quarter, Hollis-Jefferson went for a drive, but his leg buckled as he went up. He did not return to the game.
Before the injury, Hollis-Jefferson was averaging 22.2 points, 8.6 rebounds, and 5.6 assists per outing for the Bolts, who currently hold a 3-2 record in Group B.
The setback also means Hollis-Jefferson will miss the 2026 Commissioner’s Cup and the 2026 Governors’ Cup, where TNT enters both conferences as the defending champion.
“The Meralco Bolts are deeply grateful to Rondae for his contributions on and off the court. We believe in his resilience and are confident that he will overcome this challenge and return stronger. The Meralco organization is here to support him every step of the way,” the team said in a statement.
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