Rondae Hollis-Jefferson is doing well.
That much he shared on TNT’s official social media pages on Thursday night. Crucially, he revealed an important development that should excite ka-Tropas everywhere.
“I’m at almost five months post-surgery. I’m moving a lot better. I’m able to, you know, run, lightly jump. I’m starting to do on-the-court stuff,” Hollis-Jefferson said in his recorded update.
Hollis-Jefferson, a three-time PBA champion with TNT, tore his right Achilles tendon back in December while playing for the Meralco Bolts in the EASL. The injury forced the NBA veteran to miss TNT’s Commissioner’s Cup campaign and a chance to defend the Tropa’s crown, which they won last year.
More Work Ahead for Hollis-Jefferson
Five months after the injury, RHJ looks to be in great spirits as he prepares to enter the more grueling phase of his recovery.
“I would say around this five-month mark is where things start to ramp up when we’re doing more on-the-court work,” Hollis-Jefferson continued. “Pool workouts, a lot of strengthening, you know, the calf muscle and all those muscles that lost a lot of strength while I was not able to use it. And then I would say it’s just a give and take, you know, depending on how the muscle and everything strengthens and recovers, how long I’ll be out for.”
Given his legendary work ethic and intensity, expect RHJ to go all-out in putting in the work needed to get back to where he was pre-injury.
Return Imminent?
With RHJ ramping up his recovery, the question now is when he will return to high-level hoops. Hollis-Jefferson isn’t 100% sure yet, but he already has a target date in mind.
“I can’t give you an exact date,” RHJ acknowledged, “but we’re looking at somewhere between September and October.”
That target date coincides with the Governors’ Cup going full steam ahead. Season 50’s final tournament will start in July and take an extended break from August to October to make way for Gilas Pilipinas, which will be defending their gold medal in the Asian Games from September 19 to October 4. The conference will take another break for the FIBA window on November 9 to December 3, with the finals scheduled from December 16 to 30.
That timeline gives Hollis-Jefferson the perfect window to return to TNT to help the Tropa defend their Governors’ Cup title.
Whether things play out the way RHJ envisions them is another matter altogether. Still, his progress and determination offer TNT fans hope that their star forward could be back in time to make a significant impact. If his recovery continues on track, Hollis-Jefferson’s return could be one of the biggest storylines of the upcoming Governors’ Cup.
