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| Rondae Hollis-Jefferson will sit out the entire 2026 as he recovers from an Achilles tendon rupture. EASL (file photo) |
MANILA--The worst fear came true for Rondae Hollis-Jefferson as Meralco confirmed on Monday that he suffered an Achilles tendon injury after a bad fall during the team's EASL game against Macau at The Capital Arena in Ilagan.
The hardworking swingman quickly left for Manila the morning after the Saturday night clash to get a word from sports doctors, who revealed the severity of the injured right foot.
"MRI findings confirm Rondae Hollis-Jefferson sustained a right Achilles tendon rupture during our East Asia Super League game against the Macau Black Bears last December 6, Saturday," the Bolts said in a statement.
Hollis-Jefferson left the game with 5:37 left in the third quarter after a bad fall following a shot attempt against beanpole Sam Deguara.
Meralco teammates carried Hollis-Jefferson off the court, and he never returned to the game, a clear sign that the injury may be more than a mere ankle sprain.
The team still beat Macau, 93-91, but the Bolts, with Hollis-Jefferson out and Justin Brownlee, another known closer in the PBA, still finding his groove, struggled to seal the deal before Ismael Romero saved the day with the game-ending steal.
Recovery from an Achilles rupture usually takes one full year, which effectively rules Hollis-Jefferson out for the rest of the Bolts' EASL campaign and makes his "dream alliance" with rival-turned-friend Brownlee a one-and-done event.
"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 further said.
The TNT resident import, currently with Meralco on loan, will also be out for the Tropang 5G's campaign in the upcoming import-spiced PBA conferences next year since he is only expected to return by 2027.
An Achilles rupture has altered the careers of many known basketball stars, including Kobe Bryant, whose gameplay became the pattern of Hollis-Jefferson's playstyle when he took his talents to Asia, first for TNT, Jordan, and Meralco, with a brief Puerto Rican spell in between.
The Bolts hope that the six-foot-six winger, already at the prime of his career at age 30, bounces back from the injury setback.
"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. The Meralco organization is here to support him every step of the way," Meralco's statement concluded.
The team has two months to find a replacement for Hollis-Jefferson for its last EASL group stage match against Ryukyu right on the final night of the classification round on Feb. 12.
On standby, though, for the Bolts is Rahlir Hollis-Jefferson, Rondae's older brother.
For now, they will shift their focus to the remainder of the PBA Philippine Cup eliminations, where they are in a tight battle against Barangay Ginebra, Phoenix Fuel Masters, and Titan Ultra Giant Risers for the last two quarterfinal berths.
Meralco returns to action PBA-wise against slumping Terrafirma on Wednesday night at the Ynares Center 1 in Antipolo.
