STA ROSA — It appears the health condition of Rondae Hollis-Jefferson is worse than expected.
TNT coach Jojo Lastimosa said the prolific former NBA player might not be ready to play for the team in the early goings of the PBA Commissioner's Cup which kicks off on Sunday.
See Chiba Jets repeat over TNT in grudge match as RHJ sits out
The Tropang Giga are scheduled to meet the Magnolia Hotshots in the lone opening game at the Smart Araneta Coliseum with another import instead of Hollis-Jefferson suiting up for the team
"It's still iffy, we don't know yet. But we are actually bringing in a replacement already in case he won't be ready," said Lastimosa of the import who guided TNT to the Governors Cup championship last season.
Hollis-Jefferson fell to a case of gastroenteritis and didn't play in a 75-66 TNT loss to Chiba Jets in the EASL Home and Away season on Wednesday night.
The 28-year-old import was in a black hoodie and was heartily cheering the Tropang Giga during the game.
But deep inside, he was ailing, according to Lastimosa.
"Rondae's been sick for a while now, and he has been hospitalized," said the TNT coach. "He went into IV and he was there for a couple of days in the hospital, dehydrated."
Hollis-Jefferson actually still attended TNT's training camp also in Laguna, but suddenly didn't feel well just days before the game against the Jets.
"He seemed okay, and all of a sudden, everything turned for the worse. So it was unfortunate," said Lastimosa.
The TNT coach added the team is not taking a risk on Hollis-Jefferson's health that an interim import is needed.
"We're gonna wait for Rondae to get better. We don't want to put him on the floor not close to 100 percent because it might harm him in the long run," said Lastimosa.
"So we're doing it conservatively, bringing in another guy so we can have an import on Sunday."
The interim import wasn't named by the TNT coach.
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