By REYNALD MAGALLON
After finally getting his first professional championship following TNT’s six game conquest of erstwhile defending champion Ginebra, Rondae Hollis-Jefferson is eyeing a return to the NBA.
Although a return tour with the Tropang Giga is not too far of a possibility in the future, Hollis-Jefferson made it clear that the immediate plan right now is to try and make it back to the big league.
“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. We’ll see how that all unfolds,” said 2023 PBA Governors’ Cup Best Import hours after leading his team to the title with a 97-93 win over Ginebra.
Coming in as a replacement import for TNT, Hollis-Jefferson lived up to the lofty billing and took the Tropang Giga’s game a notch higher by helping them secure the top-seed of the eliminations. The NBA veteran continued to take the PBA by storm and accomplished what most PBA imports couldn’t do – take down Justin Brownlee and Ginebra in the Finals.
For Hollis-Jefferson, playing in the PBA certainly made him better and the experience he gained will surely be valuable in his bid to return to the NBA.
“I think from 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. 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,” he added.
TNT head coach Jojo Lastimosa, meanwhile, said the team is very supportive of Hollis-Jefferson’s goal but also stressed that its doors will always be open to welcome him back.
