By MARK REY MONTEJO
A crushing development struck both the TNT and Meralco franchises as import Rondae Hollis-Jefferson has ruptured his right Achilles tendon, the Bolts announced Monday, Dec. 8.
The mishap occurred after the 30-year-old Hollis-Jefferson landed his right foot on Macau Black Bears’ big man Sam Deguara’s own foot in the third quarter of their EASL showdown last weekend in Ilagan City, Isabela.
That matchup concluded with Meralco hacking out a 93-91 escape.
Amidst the ordeal, Meralco vowed to keep its support throughout the recovery process of the former NBA player.
“Rondae is a great person and has been an incredible teammate. Our thoughts and prayers are with him and our focus now is on his immediate treatment and recovery,” Meralco wrote in its statement.
“The Meralco Bolts are deeply grateful to Rondae for his contributions on and off the court. We believe in his resilience and are confident that he will overcome this challenge and return stronger,” he added. “The Meralco organization is here to support him every step of the way.”
Though there is no official information regarding the return of the versatile 6-foot-6 forward, his current injury, the one that the late Kobe Bryant sustained in 2013, would take a year or more before he could suit up anew.
Hollis-Jefferson, a three-time PBA champion with the Tropang Giga, was tapped, along with Justin Brownlee and Ismael Romero, by Meralco last September in order to beef up the Phillipine-based club in the regional tournament.
It was a move the PBA Board gladly approved, as it hoped to see Meralco win the competition in time for its 50th anniversary.
