Rondae Hollis-Jefferson has been nursing a hamstring injury since the PBA semis but did not let it hinder him from helping TNT accomplish its mission.
It turned out, Rondae Hollis-Jefferson had been playing hurt since the PBA Season 49 Commissioner’s Cup semifinals.
TNT coach Chot Reyes said Hollis-Jefferson suffered a hamstring injury in the thick of the team's back-and-forth battle in the semifinals against Rain or Shine.
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“The real story na hindi namin ipinagsabi was Game 4 noong semifinals, he pulled his hamstring. Kaya hindi napapansin dahil nakatago sa shorts niya. Grabe ang higpit ng bandage, ang balot niya doon sa kaniyang hamstring,” Reyes said in Saturday’s episode of Power & Play.
Worried, Reyes and the coaching staff convened and deliberated whether or not to replace their reinforcement.
The 11-time champion head coach said the team was already looking at RHJ’s brother Rahlir, who was simulating Justin Brownlee in Tropang Giga's practice.
“Nandito kasi si Rahlir noong semifinals, eh. And then, even at the first few games ng Finals, he was staying, naglalaro ng papel ni Brownlee sa scouting team namin. Siya (Rahlir) si Brownlee. Siya 'yong dinedepensahan namin,” Reyes said.
There is simply no quitting in TNT Tropang Giga import Rondae Hollis-Jefferson. | Photo (c) RM Chua/One Sports
Unfortunately, the elder Hollis-Jefferson received an offer to play elsewhere.
“Actually, nandito 'yong kapatid niya all the time. Ang problema, after Games 2 or 3, nagkaroon siya ng offer. Sabi ko, 'Patay tayo dito,'” Reyes said.
Fortunately for Reyes and company, there was no quit in Rondae, injured and all.
“We had a long talk with Rondae. Our thinking is, do we get a new guy who we’re going to teach everything that we’re trying to do? or we go with the 70 to 75 percent guy who knows everything that we already want to do? We were really looking. Maybe we could fly somebody in. But in the end, we talked to him. Rondae said no,” Reyes said.
“He just told me, 'Just manage my minutes.' Sabi niya, 'If they take out Justin, take me out as well.' Which is a miracle kasi never siya (Hollids-Jefferson) nagpapalabas. But that’s why you knew na may iniinda talaga siya, because he told me, 'Just manage my minutes.' Because he’s not a hundred percent.”
It all worked out in the end for the Tropang Giga, who went on to capture the Commissioner’s Cup crown after seven grueling games against the Gin Kings.
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When the dust settled after Game 7, all the pain Hollis-Jefferson had been enduring snuck in.
While the rest of the TNT ran around and hugged every member of the team in celebration of the franchise’s 11th title in the league, the former Brooklyn Net sat down and took advantage of the only breather he had since tipoff.
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Reyes had no other recourse but to marvel at the warrior he has at his disposal these past years.
“But he helps us in so many other ways — defensively, rebounding, and, I think, most importantly, the spirit. Just his warrior spirit, the mentality that he just absolutely refuses to lose, and it rubs off on his teammates,” he said.