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| Nick Hornsby will be TNT's import for now as Rondae Hollis-Jefferson continues to recover from his Achilles injury. CEBL (file photo) |
MANILA—Although Rondae Hollis-Jefferson finally got to play again after suffering an Achilles tendon injury in the EASL, TNT remains cautious about its resident import's match fitness.
Instead of immediately bringing him back for the resumption of the PBA Governors' Cup, the team kept him on the sidelines and brought in Nick Hornsby, as announced on Thursday.
Hornsby, now 31, was a star in the German pro basketball circuit, most notably playing for Bayer Leverkusen from 2018-2020.
He also had stops with Giessen and Bremerhaven before finding his way to Israel, Canada, and Indonesia.
Hornsby came from his third stint with Edmonton in the Canadian league.
When asked about the Tropang 5G's decision to sign a new import instead of bringing back Hollis-Jefferson quickly, team manager Jojo Lastimosa, in a text message, said, "We want to make sure Rondae is at full strength, that he's not coming back too soon."
Hollis-Jefferson, who was expected to be cleared for a return to action this month, got to play in a tune-up game against Jordan, but TNT decided to hold his PBA return for now.
Before heading to the long Gilas Pilipinas break, the MVP Group's flagship franchise, currently at 4-4, is in a tight race for the last two quarterfinal spots in Group A.
The team returns to action right when the PBA Governors' Cup resumes on Oct. 7 against Terrafirma at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium.
