TNT is set to activate Rahlir Hollis-Jefferson for the final two games of its PBA Season 48 Commissioner’s Cup elimination round campaign in January.
Head coach Jojo Lastimosa disclosed as much, with Rondae still out due to a neck injury he suffered during the Tropang Giga’s game against Taipei Fubon in an East Asia Super League assignment in Santa Rosa, Laguna last week.
“We’re putting in Rahlir, his brother,” said the cage legend moments after their 86-78 defeat to Ginebra on Christmas Day at the SMART Araneta Coliseum.
Rondae is no longer eligible to go back to the conference with the club’s decision. PBA rules say that an import is only allowed to be replaced once.
The former NBA cager was TNT’s original choice for the tilt but the team had to play with ex-EASL import Quincy Miller in the season opener against Magnolia as the former, at that time, was still unfit to play due to gastroenteritis.
(C) PBA Images
Hollis-Jefferson was brought back right after the Hotshots game, but his tour of duty is now cut short due to the scary injury he suffered.
“He’s very fragile,” Lastimosa said. “He cannot turn his neck and I talked to the doctor yesterday, na yung mga injury na may spinal cord na ganun, you don’t take that lightly because even if feeling niya walang pain, it’s a physical game.
“He could get jarred again and he reinjured that neck again. We’re going the conservative way and actually protecting Rondae’s career.”
Hollis-Jefferson is also doubtful to see action in their EASL home game against Anyang Jung Kwan Jang on January 24 at the Philsports Arena.
“Even the January 24 na EASL game namin, baka hindi pa sigurado si Rondae makabalik eh,” Lastimosa said. “So we might have to play with one import.”
