Rondae Hollis-Jefferson is someone that the NBA community is fairly familiar with. However, the athlete started gaining a lot more attention during the 2023 FIBA World Cup. He was originally born in Pennsylvania but now serves as a naturalized player in Jordan. Besides this, Rondae is a standout player because he resembles Kobe Bryant in various aspects. This is exactly why he went viral in the first place.
While playing for Jordan during the 2023 FIBA World Cup, Hollis Jefferson’s appearance showed great similarities to Bryant. He rocked the single-sleeve look while wearing No.24 on his jersey. Rondae also showcased a lot of Kobe’s tendencies, from ball handling to pull-up jumpers and defensive plays. Several fans were shocked to see how similar his playing style was to the Los Angeles Lakers legend.
Rondae Hollis-Jefferson moves and plays like Kobe Bryant 🥹pic.twitter.com/DJcNyyBpQU
— ŃBACentel (@TheNBACentel) August 26, 2023
Did Kobe’s spirit posses Rondae Hollis Jefferson ? Bro I need an explanation
— Wizard Kelly🧙♂️ (@DOPEEITSDON) August 28, 2023
While Jordan took on New Zealand during the World Cup, Rondae Hollis-Jefferson turned into an offensive monster. He recorded 39 points, 9 rebounds, and 4 assists shooting 12-24 from the field. It wasn’t just his scoring abilities and movement on the floor that drew comparisons to Kobe. He is best known for his defense, which was what the NBA community loved about him as well.
Rondae Hollis-Jefferson played for six seasons in the NBA
Rondae Hollis-Jefferson was a certified superstar when he was in college. He played for the Arizona Wildcats from 2013 to 2015 and dominated many players who have had great stints in the NBA. He won accolades such as PAC-12 Player of the Week along with All-Tournament Team, All-Defensive Team, First Team All-PAC-12, and All-Freshman Team selections. Rondae also earned an NCAA Tournament West Region All-Tournament Team selection as well.
He declared for the NBA draft in 2015 and was selected 23rd overall by the Portland Trail Blazers. However, they gave the Brooklyn Nets draft rights over him and he started his career on the East Coast. However, injuries would play a major part in Brooklyn’s decision to not give him any qualifying offer in 2018. He would join the sign with the Toronto Raptors in 2019 shortly after they won the NBA Championship.
By the end of the following year, Rondae Hollis-Jefferson would sign a non-guaranteed preseason contract with the Minnesota Timberwolves. However, they waived him two weeks after the signing. In 2021, he signed back-to-back 10-day contracts with the Blazers and then signed for the rest of the season. He averaged 9 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 1.9 assists per game in the NBA. Hollis-Jefferson would take his talent overseas to Puerto Rico, Istanbul, Korea, and the Philippines.