TNT prized import Rondae Hollis-Jefferson is fast cementing his status as one of the pro league’s greatest reinforcements after bagging a second straight best import award.
But the glittering accolade will go in vain if the Tropang Giga fail in their bid to retain the PBA Governors’ Cup title.
“I give thanks to my teammates and coaches for helping me accomplish that (best import),” Hollis-Jefferson said. “It’s something I can talk to my kids about in the future, but we want to win.
“You know, we want to win the championship. We want to win every game we step out there,” he added.
The 6-foot-6 Hollis-Jefferson spoke after being named the top foreign player in the season-opening meet last Sunday when TNT dropped a 92-106 loss to Ginebra in Game 4 of their best-of-7 Big Dance showdown.
Hollis-Jefferson, 29, totaled 1,221 points made possible by 663 points from statistics, 491 media votes, and 67 votes from players.
Resident Kings import Justin Brownlee wound up second with 947 points (588-266-93) while Rain or Shine’s Aaron Fuller was third with 590 points.
But the Tropang Giga’s second loss in a row in the title clash dimmed what should have been a special night for Hollis-Jefferson, who sizzled with 28 points, nine rebounds, four assists, and two steals in 46 minutes and 57 seconds of action.
“Sometimes, we just made mental mistakes, and we couldn’t cut the lead in some situations,” the Jordan naturalized star said. “That’s on our part. We got to go back to the drawing board, look at some things, and make some adjustments.”
Hollis-Jefferson became only the 11th import to win the plum multiple times after Norman Black, Billy Ray Bates, Derrick Brown, Gabe Freeman, Jerald Honeycutt, Arizona Reid, and Kenny Redfield.
Only seven-time winners Bobby Parks Sr. and three-time awardees Brownlee and Allen Durham have more Best Import trophies.
Kings coach Tim Cone, the winningest tactician in Asia’s pioneering pro league, gamely acknowledged Hollis-Jefferson’s brilliance.
“Rondae does play 48 (minutes). It’s hard to rest your import for six, eight minutes when Rondae is still on the floor all the time. That’s making it difficult for us. Rondae just doesn’t slow down,” he said. “I remember talking to Erik Spoelstra (Miami Heat strategist) and telling him about Rondae being here and he goes, ‘Wow, that guy is an elite defender’ and he was known as an elite defender in the NBA. That’s why he was in the NBA because he was such an elite defender and elite stopper.”
In his maiden foray in the PBA in the same edition of the tilt last year, Hollis-Jefferson captured the best import award and steered TNT to the Promised Land. Can he do it anew?
