Rondae Hollis-Jefferson did his best Kobe Bryant impersonation on Saturday in Jordan's FIBA World Cup opening game against Greece. Hollis-Jefferson looked like a left-handed Bryant, wearing the same number No. 24, the same forearm band and knocking down tough shots.
In a video posted by FIBA, Hollis-Jefferson put on a show in front of Filipino fans inside the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City. He made contested shots and driving through the lane like the late, great LA Lakers legend.
Hollis-Jefferson ended with 24 points, nine rebounds and three assists. He was also efficient in 33 minutes, going 7-for-11 from the field and 9-for-11 from free throws. However, it was not enough to prevent a 92-71 loss for Jordan.
Here's the video:
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Rondae Hollis-Jefferson did all he could for Jordan, but Greece was just too much. He barely had help from his Jordan teammates, with only Ahmad Dwairi, Sami Bzai and Freddy Ibrahim reaching double-digit points. Jordan shot the ball poorly and failed to make it tough for their opponents.
Giannoulis Larentzakis led the way for the Greeks with 19 points and three assists. Ioannis Papapetrou and Thomas Walkup scored 13 points apiece, while Nikos Rogkavopoulos added 10 points, seven rebounds and two steals.
Jordan, though, has no time to think about their loss to Greece. They face New Zealand on Monday before meeting Team USA on Aug. 30. They're likely to have a tough time with both teams, but fans can still watch Hollis-Jefferson pay tribute to Kobe Bryant.
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Rondae Hollis-Jefferson discusses playing in the NBA, in the Philippines and for Jordan
In an exclusive interview with Sportskeeda's Itiel Estudillo after Jordan's game against Greece, Rondae Hollis-Jefferson briefly talked about his career. Hollis-Jefferson has been in the NBA, in the PBA in the Philippines, and now plays for Jordan's national team.
"At the end of the day, it's about experience," Hollis-Jefferson said. "It's about knowing the game. It's about helping as you see fit and you know having that connection with the coach (Wesam Al-Sous).
"Coach coached a lot of players. He's been around the game a long time so being there to talk to him and pick his brain and vice versa. It helps the team get much better. It's definitely an honor to be able to play in all those places, but, right now, the focus is Jordan and how we can win."
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