RONDAE Hollis-Jefferson showed Gilas Pilipinas and the rest of Jordan’s upcoming opponents a glimpse of the conditioning he will be in as they try to bounce back in the Asian Games after a disappointing finish at the 2023 Fiba World Cup.
The Jordanians replaced the Philippines as the worst team in this year’s World Cup, wounding up winless in five games with a -106 point difference.
But one of the few bright spots was their naturalized player in Hollis-Jefferson, who averaged only 1.4 minutes of rest in those five games.
The former NBA player even played the entire 40 minutes in their last two games, the second a 93-80 loss to Mexico in the classification round.
“I’m a competitor, so when coach needs me to play forty minutes, then that’s what it takes,” Hollis-Jefferson said. “I’m not the one to ask for a sub. We just keep going with the flow and however I feel, just keep working and keep playing.”
“If anything, it says I’m in shape,” the 28-year-old 6-foot-5 forward added.
After putting up 23.6 points on 46.8-percent shooting, 7.8 boards, 4.4 assists, and 1.2 steals in the World Cup, Hollis-Jefferson looks forward to lead his country to a better showing in the continental showpiece where the Jordanians are in Group C with Gilas, Thailand, and Bahrain.
“We’re going to the Asian Games,” Hollis-Jefferson said. “Extremely grateful for the opportunity. I want to thank Jordan for allowing me to be a part of it.”
Expect the TNT import to remain in game shape as the Jordanians flew to China for a training camp before the Asian Games open on September 23.
READ: Rondae Hollis-Jefferson connects with TNT ahead of Asiad stint
Jordan coach Wesam Al-Sous feels they found the right fit as naturalized player in RHJ.
“He can plug every hole and this is what we need. I think with the proper time with him, he’s going to do better, maybe in terms of knowing our guys more and our guys know him more, and you’ll see the chemistry going a little bit better on the floor.”
“We’re happy with him. Hopefully he’ll serve the country for years to come,” he added.
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