Rondae Jaquan Hollis-Jefferson (born January 3, 1995) is an American professional

basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appr ...

player for the

TNT Tropang Giga The TNT (cellular service), TNT Tropang Giga is a professional basketball team currently owned by Smart Communications, a subsidiary of the PLDT, Philippine Long Distance Telephone Company (PLDT), playing in the Philippine Basketball Associat ...

of the

Philippine Basketball Association The Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) is a men's professional basketball league in the Philippines composed of twelve company-branded franchised teams. Founded in 1975, it is the first professional basketball league in Asia and is the se ...

(PBA). He spent seven seasons in the NBA, and played

college basketball In United States colleges, top-tier basketball is governed by collegiate athletic bodies including National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), the United States Collegiate Athleti ...

for the

Arizona Wildcats The Arizona Wildcats are the athletic teams that represent the University of Arizona, located in Tucson. The Wildcats compete at the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I ( Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) for college foot ...

Early life and high school career

20130403 MCDAAG Rondae Hollis-Jefferson (2)

Hollis-Jefferson was born and raised in

Chester, Pennsylvania Chester is a city in Delaware County, Pennsylvania, United States. Located within the Philadelphia Metropolitan Area, it is the only city in Delaware County and had a population of 32,605 as of the 2020 census. Incorporated in 1682, Chester i ...

, the son of Rylanda Hollis, a single mother who worked two jobs as a dietary supervisor and bartender. He grew up with older brother Rahlir, who also became a professional basketball player. Their father was frequently absent and spent some time in jail. Hollis-Jefferson began honing his game when he was 12. At a young age he took a strong interest in defense and acknowledged that he scored only because he was taller than his peers. He attended Chester High School where he began an outstanding basketball career under head coach Larry Yarbray. The

small forward The small forward (SF), also known as the three or swingman, is one of the five positions in a regulation basketball game. Small forwards are typically shorter, quicker, and leaner than power forwards and centers but taller, larger, and stronge ...

became the first player to ever be named Delaware County Player of the Year for multiple seasons. He was also instrumental in Chester's first-ever undefeated season. The Clippers finished 91–5 in his last three years at the school and won two state titles. In his senior year, he lost in the state title game to

Lower Merion Lower Merion Township is a Township (Pennsylvania), township in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania. It is part of the Philadelphia Main Line. The township's name originates with the county of Merionethshire, Merionet ...

. He finished his career with more than 1,000 points and a school-record 780 rebounds. Hollis-Jefferson participated in the 2013 McDonald's All-American Game against future

Arizona Arizona ( ; nv, Hoozdo Hahoodzo ; ood, Alĭ ṣonak ) is a state in the Southwestern United States. It is the 6th largest and the 14th most populous of the 50 states. Its capital and largest city is Phoenix. Arizona is part of the Fou ...

teammate, Aaron Gordon. Following the event, he took part in the Jordan Brand Classic with some of the most highly recruited high school stars in the nation such as

Julius Randle Julius Deion Randle (born November 29, 1994) is an American professional basketball player for the New York Knicks of the National Basketball Association (NBA). In his second season with the Knicks in 2020–21, he was a first-time NBA All-Star ...

. At the conclusion of Hollis-Jefferson's years with the Clippers, he was tabbed the 6th best

of his class by

247Sports.com 247Sports is an American network of websites that focus mainly on athletic recruitment in college football and basketball. It is owned and operated by Paramount. The website hosts a large network of team-specific subsites, with each subsite be ...

and the fifth best by Rivals.com. He eventually chose to attend the

University of Arizona The University of Arizona (Arizona, U of A, UArizona, or UA) is a Public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Tucson, Arizona. Founded in 1885 by the 13th Arizona Territorial Legislature, it was the first ...

and represent the school through their successful

program over other possibilities such as

Florida Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and ...

and

Syracuse Syracuse may refer to: Places Italy * Syracuse, Sicily, or spelled as ''Siracusa'' * Province of Syracuse United States *Syracuse, New York **East Syracuse, New York ** North Syracuse, New York * Syracuse, Indiana *Syracuse, Kansas *Syracuse, M ...

College career

In his freshman season with Arizona, Hollis-Jefferson became known as fierce scorer, rebounder, and shot-blocker despite his relatively small size. The start of his season was marked with 10 points, 5 rebounds, and 2 assists against Cal Poly off the bench. He posted his first double-double in a game against

Oregon Oregon () is a U.S. state, state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. The Columbia River delineates much of Oregon's northern boundary with Washington (state), Washington, while the Snake River delineates much of it ...

. He improved on his

free throw In basketball, free throws or foul shots are unopposed attempts to score points by shooting from behind the free-throw line (informally known as the foul line or the charity stripe), a line situated at the end of the restricted area. Free throws ...

shooting as his freshman year progressed. Throughout the season, Hollis-Jefferson mainly functioned as the team's sixth man, but became a starter after Brandon Ashley was lost for the season with a foot injury in the Wildcats' 60–58 upset loss to

California California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the m ...

on February 1. Hollis-Jefferson ended up starting 6 of 38 games played due to the roster that was dominated by the likes of Aaron Gordon, but still got his name on the

Pac-12 The Pac-12 Conference is a collegiate athletic conference, that operates in the Western United States, participating in 24 sports at the NCAA Division I level. Its football teams compete in the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS; formerly Divisi ...

All-Freshman Team. In his freshman year, Hollis-Jefferson averaged 9.1 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 1.4 assists per game. "It's a lot different than just waking up, going to school and playing basketball for Chester," said Hollis-Jefferson of his freshman year. "In the beginning of the season, I was lost. But it's not about who's starting, it's about who finishes. It stuck with me for about a month or so, playing behind people. I went along with it and kept playing. I need to make people respect my shot. I know I can shoot it. I have to stay in attack mode." As a sophomore, Hollis-Jefferson increased his averages to 11.3 points and 6.9 rebounds per game. He improved in his leadership and offense. As a sophomore, he was voted first-team All-Pac-12, and was named to the Pac-12 All-Defensive Team. He helped lead the Wildcats to two consecutive Elite Eight appearances in the NCAA Tournament, losing to

Wisconsin Wisconsin () is a state in the upper Midwestern United States. Wisconsin is the 25th-largest state by total area and the 20th-most populous. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake M ...

on both occasions. On April 7, 2015, Hollis-Jefferson declared for the 2015 NBA draft, forgoing his final two years of college eligibility. "I don't know if I've enjoyed coaching a player more than I've enjoyed coaching Rondae," coach

Sean Miller Sean Edward Miller (born November 17, 1968) is an American college basketball coach who currently serves as head coach of the Xavier Musketeers. He previously was in that position from 2004 to 2009, after which he took the head coach position f ...

said.

Awards and honors

*NCAA Tournament West Region All-Tournament Team (2015) *First-team All-Pac-12 (2015) *Pac-12 All-Tournament Team (

2015 File:2015 Events Collage new.png, From top left, clockwise: Civil service in remembrance of November 2015 Paris attacks; Germanwings Flight 9525 was purposely crashed into the French Alps; the rubble of residences in Kathmandu following the April ...

) *Pac-12 All-Defensive Team (2015) *Pac-12 Player of the Week (2015) *

All-Freshman Team (2014) *Maui Invitational All-Tournament Team (2014)ARIZONA WILDCATS 2014 EA SPORTS MAUI INVITATIONAL CHAMPIONS
/ref>

Professional career

Brooklyn Nets (2015–2019)

On June 25, 2015, Hollis-Jefferson was selected by the

Portland Trail Blazers The Portland Trail Blazers (colloquially known as the Blazers) are an American professional basketball team based in Portland, Oregon. The Trail Blazers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Con ...

with the 23rd overall pick in the 2015 NBA draft. His draft rights, along with Steve Blake, were subsequently traded to the

Brooklyn Nets The Brooklyn Nets are an American professional basketball team based in the New York City borough of Brooklyn. The Nets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference. The ...

for

Mason Plumlee Mason Alexander Plumlee (born March 5, 1990) is an American professional basketball player for the Charlotte Hornets of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He primarily plays the forward and center positions. As a freshman in 2009–10, h ...

and the draft rights to the 41st overall pick, Pat Connaughton. On July 6, 2015, he signed his rookie scale contract with the Nets. He made his debut for the Nets in their season opener on October 28, 2015, recording eight points and five rebounds off the bench in a 115–100 loss to the

Chicago Bulls The Chicago Bulls are an American professional basketball team based in Chicago. The Bulls compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Central Division. The team was founded on January ...

. On November 20, he had a season-best game with 13 points and 11 rebounds as a starter in a loss to the

Boston Celtics The Boston Celtics ( ) are an American professional basketball team based in Boston. The Celtics compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Atlantic Division. Founded in 1946 as one of t ...

. On December 7, he was diagnosed with a non-displaced fracture of the posterior talus in his right ankle, an injury requiring surgery and eight to ten weeks of rehabilitation. He returned to action in late March. On November 12, 2016, Hollis-Jefferson scored a then career-high 20 points and tied a career high with 13 rebounds in a 122–104 win over the

Phoenix Suns The Phoenix Suns are an American professional basketball team based in Phoenix, Arizona. They compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA), as a member of the league's Western Conference Pacific Division. The Suns are the only team in t ...

. On December 14, 2017, Hollis-Jefferson scored a career-high 25 points on 10-for-16 shooting in a 111–104 loss to the

New York Knicks The New York Knickerbockers, shortened and more commonly referred to as the New York Knicks, are an American professional basketball team based in the New York City borough of Manhattan. The Knicks compete in the National Basketball Associat ...

. He strained his right groin during a 116–91 loss to the

Milwaukee Bucks The Milwaukee Bucks are an American professional basketball team based in Milwaukee. The Bucks compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Central Division. The team was founded in 196 ...

on January 26, returning to action on February 26 against the Chicago Bulls after missing the Nets' previous 11 games. Hollis-Jefferson missed the first three games of the 2018–19 season with a hip injury and the birth of his first child. On November 28, 2018, in a 101–91 loss to the

Utah Jazz The Utah Jazz are an American professional basketball team based in Salt Lake City. The Jazz compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference (NBA), Western Conference, Northwest Division (NBA), ...

, Hollis-Jefferson had 14 points and a season-high 11 rebounds for his first double-double. On March 19, 2019, he made a layup with eight-tenths of a second remaining to lift the Nets to a 123–121 win over the

Sacramento Kings The Sacramento Kings are an American professional basketball team based in Sacramento, California. The Kings compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Western Conference Pacific Division. The Kings are the oldest ...

. On June 17, the Nets opted not to make Hollis-Jefferson a qualifying offer, making him an unrestricted free agent.

Toronto Raptors (2019–2020)

On July 18, 2019, Hollis-Jefferson signed with the defending champion,

Toronto Raptors The Toronto Raptors are a Canadian professional basketball team based in Toronto. The Raptors compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Atlantic Division. They play their home games a ...

. On December 3, 2020, Hollis-Jefferson signed a non-guaranteed preseason contract with the

Minnesota Timberwolves The Minnesota Timberwolves are an American professional basketball team based in Minneapolis. The Timberwolves compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference Northwest Division. Founded in 19 ...

. He was waived by the Timberwolves shortly after he signed on December 19, 2020.

Portland Trail Blazers (2021)

On April 8, 2021, Hollis-Jefferson signed a 10-day contract with the

. On April 18, he signed a second 10-day contract and 10 days later, he signed for the rest of the season after appearing in six games.

Beşiktaş (2021–2022)

On September 28, 2021, Hollis-Jefferson signed with Beşiktaş Icrypex of the Basketbol Süper Ligi. He scored a career-high 26 points in a 69–82 loss over the Rytas.

Atléticos de San Germán (2022)

On April 11, 2022, Hollis-Jefferson signed with Atléticos de San Germán of the

Baloncesto Superior Nacional The Baloncesto Superior Nacional, abbreviated as BSN, is the first-tier-level professional men's basketball league in Puerto Rico. It was founded in 1929 and is organized by the Puerto Rican Basketball Federation. The Baloncesto Superior Naci ...

TNT Tropang Giga (2023–present)

In February 2023, Hollis-Jefferson signed with the

of the

(PBA) to replace

Jalen Hudson Jalen Andreas Hudson (born May 21, 1996) is an American professional basketball player for the TNT Tropang Giga of the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA). He played college basketball for the Virginia Tech Hokies and the Florida Gators. Hig ...

as the team's import for the

2023 PBA Governors' Cup The 2023 PBA Governors' Cup, also known as the 2023 Honda PBA Governors' Cup for sponsorship reasons, is the third and final conference of the 2022–23 PBA season of the Philippine Basketball Association The Philippine Basketball Associa ...

Player profile

Hollis-Jefferson plays both forward positions. Using his athleticism and

wingspan The wingspan (or just span) of a bird or an airplane is the distance from one wingtip to the other wingtip. For example, the Boeing 777–200 has a wingspan of , and a wandering albatross (''Diomedea exulans'') caught in 1965 had a wingspan o ...

, he is part of the NBA trend of undersized power forwards.

Career statistics

NBA

Regular season

, - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

Brooklyn Brooklyn () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Kings County, in the U.S. state of New York. Kings County is the most populous county in the State of New York, and the second-most densely populated county in the United States, be ...

, 29 , , 17 , , 21.2 , , .457 , , .286 , , .712 , , 5.3 , , 1.5 , , 1.3 , , .6 , , 5.8 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

, 78 , , 50 , , 22.6 , , .434 , , .224 , , .751 , , 5.8 , , 2.0 , , 1.1 , , .6 , , 8.7 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

, 68 , , 59 , , 28.2 , , .472 , , .241 , , .788 , , 6.8 , , 2.5 , , 1.0 , , .7 , , 13.9 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

, 59 , , 21 , , 20.9 , , .411 , , .184 , , .645 , , 5.3 , , 1.6 , , .7 , , .5 , , 8.9 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

Toronto Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the anch ...

, 60 , , 6 , , 18.7 , , .471 , , .130 , , .734 , , 4.7 , , 1.8 , , .8 , , .4 , , 7.0 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;", Portland , 11 , , 1 , , 9.7 , , .500 , , .000 , , .563 , , 2.4 , , 1.2 , , .2 , , .4 , , 2.5 , - class="sortbottom" , style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", Career , 305 , , 154 , , 22.2 , , .449 , , .212 , , .735 , , 5.5 , , 1.9 , , .9 , , .5 , , 9.0

Playoffs

, - , style="text-align:left;",

2019 File:2019 collage v1.png, From top left, clockwise: Hong Kong protests turn to widespread riots and civil disobedience; House of Representatives votes to adopt articles of impeachment against Donald Trump; CRISPR gene editing first used to experim ...

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, 4 , , 0 , , 15.5 , , .485 , , 1.000 , , .800 , , 3.0 , , 1.5 , , .3 , , 1.3 , , 13.3 , - , style="text-align:left;",

2020 2020 was heavily defined by the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to global social and economic disruption, mass cancellations and postponements of events, worldwide lockdowns and the largest economic recession since the Great Depression in t ...

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, 5 , , 0 , , 7.8 , , .400 , , .000 , , .750 , , 2.0 , , .6 , , .4 , , .2 , , 2.8 , - , style="text-align:left;",

2021 File:2021 collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: the James Webb Space Telescope was launched in 2021; Protesters in Yangon, Myanmar following the coup d'état; A civil demonstration against the October 2021 coup in Sudan; Crowd shortly after t ...

, style="text-align:left;", Portland , 5 , , 0 , , 7.2 , , .800 , , .000 , , .667 , , 1.6 , , .0 , , .2 , , .2 , , 2.0 , - class="sortbottom" , style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", Career , 14 , , 0 , , 9.8 , , .500 , , .500 , , .778 , , 2.1 , , .6 , , .3 , , .5 , , 5.5

College

, - , style="text-align:left;", 2013–14 , style="text-align:left;",

, 38 , , 6 , , 25.3 , , .490 , , .200 , , .682 , , 5.7 , , 1.4 , , .7 , , 1.1 , , 9.1 , - , style="text-align:left;", 2014–15 , style="text-align:left;",

, 38 , , 25 , , 28.7 , , .502 , , .207 , , .707 , , 6.8 , , 1.5 , , 1.1 , , .8 , , 11.2 , - class="sortbottom" , style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", Career , 76 , , 31 , , 27.0 , , .496 , , .205 , , .697 , , 6.3 , , 1.5 , , .9 , , .9 , , 10.2

Personal life

Hollis-Jefferson is a practicing Muslim.

References

External links

Arizona Wildcats bio
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hollis-Jefferson, Rondae 1995 births African-American Muslims Living people 21st-century African-American sportspeople African-American basketball players American expatriate basketball people in Canada American expatriate basketball people in the Philippines American expatriate basketball people in South Korea American expatriate basketball people in Turkey American men's basketball players Arizona Wildcats men's basketball players Atléticos de San Germán players Basketball players from Pennsylvania Beşiktaş men's basketball players Brooklyn Nets players Chester High School alumni Jeonju KCC Egis players Philippine Basketball Association imports Portland Trail Blazers draft picks Portland Trail Blazers players Small forwards Sportspeople from Chester, Pennsylvania TNT Tropang Giga players Toronto Raptors players