MANILA – TNT Tropang Giga is planning to activate Rahlir Hollis-Jefferson in lieu of his injured younger brother Rondae Hollis-Jefferson for the remainder of the 2023-2024 PBA Commissioner’s Cup.
According to Tropang Giga head coach Jojo Lastimosa, they will opt for Rahlir for their remaining games in the eliminations and in the playoffs as Rondae is nursing a neck injury.
“We’re putting in Rahlir, his brother,” said Lastimosa. “He’s very fragile and he cannot turn his neck and I talked to the doctor, na yung mga injury na may spinal cord na ganun, you don’t take that lightly because even if feeling niya walang pain, it’s a physical game.”
Rondae suffered a neck injury during the fourth quarter of the Tropang Giga’s game against Taipei Fubon in an East Asia Super League (EASL) in Santa Rosa, Laguna last week.
The injury of Rondae has forced the Tropang Giga to play with an all-Filipino lineup during their 86-78 defeat to Barangay Ginebra San Miguel Kings on Christmas Day at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
If ever Rondae was replaced by Rahlir, he is no longer eligible to go back to the conference as the PBA rules say that a reinforcement is only allowed to be replaced once.
Rondae was the Tropang Giga’s original choice for the tilt but the team had to play with Quincy Miller in the season opener against Magnolia Chicken Timplados Hotshots as the former, at that time, was still unfit to play due to gastroenteritis.
Lastimosa also disclosed that Rondae is also doubtful to see action in their EASL home game against Rhenz Abando and Anyang Jung Kwan Jang on Jan. 24 at the Philsports Arena.
“Even the Jan. 24 na EASL game namin, baka hindi pa sigurado si Rondae makabalik eh,” Lastimosa said. “So we might have to play with one import.”/PN
