The crowd at the Mall of Asia Arena, a mix of Kiwi, Jordanian, and Filipino supporters, chanted “Kobe, Kobe” for a long stretch on Monday night.
It was for Rondae Hollis-Jefferson.
The Jordan naturalized player didn’t disappoint, channeling his inner Kobe Bryant and launching a three-pointer from the left wing with 10.7 ticks remaining.
It went in, and to spice things up, he drew a foul from New Zealand’s Yannick Wetzwell. He made the bonus free throw to send the game into overtime.
“To feel that love and that energy coming down the stretch, hitting those big shots god was with me, Kobe was with me for sure,” he said.
“I just want to win. Everything said shoot it, so that’s what I did.”
Everything he was doing was Kobe-esque, from mid-range jumpers to emphatic dunks. But in the end, Jordan fell short against New Zealand, 95-87, in overtime and slumped to a 0-2 hole in Group C of the FIBA World Cup.
His Herculean effort that saw him post 39 points, 9 rebounds, 4 assists, and 2 steals went for naught as the Kiwis improved to a 1-1 win-loss record.
While Jordan's chances of making the next stage are slim, his performances augur well for the TNT Tropang Giga, who will field in the prolific import in the upcoming PBA season which starts in October.
(GM)