Rondae Hollis-Jefferson felt the wear and tear right after leading TNT to its 11th PBA crown on Friday, March 28.
Rondae Hollis-Jefferson sat on the outer fringes of the spotlight while the rest of the TNT Tropang Giga celebrated after their PBA Season 49 Commissioner’s Cup conquest on Friday, March 28 at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
Hollis-Jefferson was still grasping for air after grueling 87-83 win in the series-clinching Game 7 win that saw him muster every ounce of energy left to help TNT claim its 11th PBA crown.
It turned out, RHJ, who finished with 25 points, 12 rebounds, two assists, two steals, and a block, played through an abdominal pain.
“Well, from the last game when I ran into the speaker, I hit in between my ribcage. And I can't, honestly I'm no doctor, I can't tell you what's going on exactly, but it feels like a hernia or something,” said RHJ.
“Because it's connected to my groin, so like at the end my abdomen was locked and at the same time my groin was locked. So I couldn't really move my leg.”
Hollis-Jefferson was referring to an incident early in Game 6 where he smacked right into the committee’s table trying to save a loose ball.
It was so painful the three-time Best Import needed to get subbed out in the final moments of regulation. His absence consequently allowed Justin Brownlee to sink the booming trey, giving the Gin Kings a ray of hope in the extra period.
“So I needed to sit down, I wouldn't have sat down for that last shot, but I probably would have been a liability out there,” he said.
“And you know Justin is a phenomenal player, he hit a big shot out there, so I gotta give him credit for that.”
Asked whether this was his most taxing PBA Finals yet, RHJ answered in the affirmative.
“For sure. They was in there celebrating and I was sitting down like this. It hurts,” he said.
RHJ said they will have it checked on Saturday, March 29. But for now, he joined the team in a quick celebration.
“I’ll get it checked out probably tomorrow actually, to just make sure everything's good. I'll get it checked out again when I get back home and I'll take care of my body,” he said.
He was ready to go all in for TNT.
"I'd go to war with you any day, every day," he said to his Tropang Giga teammates during the celebration.