RONDAE Hollis-Jefferson said he still wants to come back to the NBA if given a chance, but is at the point in his life that he won’t be disappointed if he doesn't.
Most of the sentiment about Hollis-Jefferson from the likes of Barangay Ginebra coach Tim Cone and Kings import Justin Brownlee was that RHJ is still good enough to play in the NBA, where he had a six-year stint.
READ RHJ all-in on TNT's plan to bring him back next conference
While he still hopes for that opportunity, the 29-year-old Hollis-Jefferson said the recently-concluded campaign with TNT in the PBA Governors’ Cup has helped him appreciate the other things in his life and in his career.
“For sure, it’s the highest league in the world. It will always be in my mind,” said Hollis-Jefferson when asked if he still wants to play in the NBA.
“[But] I feel like there is a point in your life that God puts you where you need to be. I think where we go wrong is we fight that, so we miss the little things; we miss the moments where you can enjoy, cherish people that are right in front of you,” he added.
“I think that right now, I’m in an air of appreciating what is in front of me,” he added. “If the NBA calls, my agent calls and says the NBA wants to give you another chance, I’m ready. But I’m just going to continue to enjoy the people that are in front of me.”
A return stint in the PBA is in the cards for RHJ as TNT has expressed its desire to bring back the two-time Best Import winner for the Commissioner’s Cup, although it has also kept an option to tap a bigger reinforcement.
As for the just-concluded Governors’ Cup, Hollis-Jefferson said he was motivated to do well after his previous season was marred by injuries in the 48th Season Commissioner’s Cup but prompted TNT to replace him with his brother Rahlir.
“Anytime you have a stint where you don’t play well, you always want to come back and do your best. That’s always a feeling, at the end of the day. I was always told that they remember you by your last game. Luckily, my last game ended in our favor.
“Last conference, it didn’t end well for me. I understood that. Everything, I feel like I used everything as motivation, being away from my family, not doing well last conference, a lot of things motivated me to compete and be locked in,” said Hollis-Jefferson.
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