PBA: Banged up and in pain, RHJ keeps perfect title record with TNT
TNT Tropang Giga’s Rondae Hollis Jefferson wins his third PBA championship. –MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net
MANILA, Philippines—He may not have been bandaged up, but TNT import Rondae Hollis-Jefferson also played through pain in Game 7 of the PBA Commissioner’s Cup Finals with a banged-up body.
Instead of celebrating with the Tropang Giga, Hollis-Jefferson could barely walk after powering TNT to its second-straight PBA title at the expense of Ginebra in overtime, 87-83, at Araneta Coliseum on Friday.
In fact, the three-time Best Import couldn’t grant an interview with the media without having to sit down as he deals with pain in his abdomen.
Hurt ✅In pain ✅3x PBA champion ✅
Rondae Hollis-Jefferson, despite going through pain, talks about winning Game 7 of the #PBAFinals. | @MeloFuertesINQ pic.twitter.com/Fd8uzEnlCY
— INQUIRER Sports (@INQUIRERSports) April 1, 2025
READ: RHJ and JB, the gallant and wounded, get needed breathers
“From the last game when I ran into the speakers, I hit in between my ribcage. Obviously, I’m no doctor, I can’t tell what’s going on exactly, but it feels like a hernia because it’s connected to my groin,” said a hurt RHJ.
“At the end, my abdomen was locking, at the same time, my groin was locking too so I couldn’t really move my leg so I needed to sit down.”
In the first half of Game 6, Hollis-Jefferson accidentally hit the scorer tables’ LED and speakers equipment on his way to stop a Ginebra fast break.
Rondae Hollis Jefferson in PBA Commissioner’s Cup Finals Game 6 after crashing into the LED board. –MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net
Almost immediately, RHJ crumbled to the floor, urging TNT to call time.
The the former NBA journeyman returned to the hardwood after the timeout nursing immense pain, and that kept stinging until Game 7 of the series and it was evident.
READ: PBA: RHJ, Arvin Tolentino win Best Import, Best Player awards
Usually playing all 48 minutes, Hollis-Jefferson occasionally took a breather in the fourth quarter and even in overtime while obviously wincing in pain and holding his stomach.
In the end, though, RHJ showed his true warrior’s mentality, finishing with a monster game of 25 points and 12 rebounds when the Tropang Giga needed it the most.
“They were celebrating there [in the locker room] and I was just sitting down. It hurts,” he said.
“I’m banged up but I’m sure they’re banged up as well. I told myself I won’t make any excuses so I just tried my best.”
Much like RHJ, Brownlee also played with a hurt thumb for Ginebra but when the dust settled, it was Hollis-Jefferson who won his third championship in the PBA.
