Rondae Hollis-Jefferson has made peace with never wearing a Gilas Pilipinas jersey, but the thought of settling that old Asian Games score for Jordan still has a hold on him.
The Gilas door has closed
In an interview with Joaquin Henson of Philstar.com, the TNT import admitted he does not believe he will ever earn a chance to represent the Philippines.
With Jordan Clarkson and Justin Brownlee in the naturalized pool, Hollis-Jefferson abandoned his Gilas dream years ago, and the Jordan Basketball Federation swooped in to secure him instead.
Why a switch is off the table
For Hollis-Jefferson to play for Gilas, Jordan would first have to renounce his naturalization. He does not see that happening.
“Jordan would have to renounce my naturalization and I don’t think they will,” he told Philstar.
He received his Jordanian passport in 2023 and played for the Falcons in the 2023 FIBA World Cup and the Asian Games, where Gilas beat Jordan for gold.
Jordan return still open
Hollis-Jefferson remains open to rejoining Jordan while he recovers from right Achilles heel surgery, with a return to action targeted for October.
“I still have my Jordan passport. Jordan has asked me to come back and that’s a possibility in the future. We lost to Gilas in the Asian Games and it would be fun to pay them back,” he said.
What’s next for RHJ
The well-loved PBA import, who has won three conference titles with TNT, was at the MOA Arena to watch Gilas beat Jordan last Friday. His older brother Rahlir has been holding down his TNT spot in the Governors’ Cup and will step aside once RHJ is cleared.
Both Gilas and Jordan will compete in the 2026 Asian Games men’s basketball tournament, which tips off next week in Aichi Prefecture and Nagoya, Japan.
