Rondae Hollis-Jefferson, the former NBA player who is now playing for Jordan as a naturalized citizen, is making headlines in the 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup. The 6-foot-6 forward is averaging 31 points and nine rebounds in the first two games of the tournament, leading all scorers. He also had a clutch 3-point play with 15 seconds left in regulation to force overtime against New Zealand in the last game. But his impressive stats are not the only reason why he is drawing attention.

Fans who are familiar with Hollis-Jefferson know that he used to be a quirky character with an exaggerated hairstyle, a strong personality, a cloudy mind and even some stubbornness.

Hollis-Jefferson's childhood was similar to many other basketball stars. His father was irresponsible, his mother had to work two jobs to support him and his brother. Fortunately, this dark period did not last long. Due to his outstanding physical talent, Hollis-Jefferson became very famous at a young age and won games easily. His teammates just had to throw the ball near the basket and he would soar up and finish the alley-oop.

But because of this, the coaches neglected to train Hollis-Jefferson's fundamentals and skills. And to everyone's surprise, he stopped growing in his senior year of high school, staying at 6-foot-6. Unable to continue playing as a big man, Hollis-Jefferson had to adapt to the small forward or power forward position. And because of his mediocre skills, he was mostly assigned defensive tasks by the coaches. He did well, though, and earned a scholarship from Arizona University.

From high school to college, Hollis-Jefferson made the transition in age, but never crossed the psychological barrier. He could not accept the role of a defensive role player. With doubts and self-denial, Hollis-Jefferson went against everyone's advice and decided to enter the 2015 NBA draft. In hindsight, Hollis-Jefferson should have stayed in the NCAA for a few more years, polishing his skills and tempering his mentality. Why?

Although he relied on his amazing talent to be selected in the first round with the 23rd pick, and even had a brief peak in his third year with the Brooklyn Nets, making people think that the Nets would rebuild around him, the reality was different. Hollis-Jefferson was indeed aggressive. He liked to attack the basket, fight for rebounds and give his all on defense. But his skills were too rough, his efficiency was low and he often made inexplicable mistakes.

After getting injured, his athletic ability declined and these shortcomings were magnified. It didn't take long for Hollis-Jefferson to fall into obscurity. He left the NBA and the public eye at only 25 years old.

During that time, Hollis-Jefferson was very depressed and even doubted himself.

"I don't know what I can do. They say I'm too small, can't score, can't shoot and have no use anywhere," he said. "Maybe so. Maybe I shouldn't play this sport."

Luckily, during his wanderings in Europe, he met Casiano, a coach from Puerto Rico who patiently guided him and helped him regain his confidence and find his old self.

Casiano asked Hollis-Jefferson what kind of player he wanted to be in his childhood dreams.

"I want to lead my team to win games. If I can get a triple-double, that would be even better. And I hope the coach can trust me and let me do it my way in the final attack."

Casiano continued to ask him what experience impressed him most in the NBA.

"It was Kobe. The first time we played against each other, he talked to me. He said we came from the same place and he had seen my games. He said I was great. After the game, he invited me to have dinner with him. That was awesome."

Through constant communication with Casiano, Hollis-Jefferson also came out of his "failure". He remembered Kobe and how he also started as an unknown rookie and then gradually became an offensive and defensive star.

He shaved off his long hair, changed to number 24 jersey and picked up a basketball. He started from the most basic dribbling and shooting exercises. That's how Hollis-Jefferson started another career in a foreign land. From a defensive role player, he slowly became an offensive all-rounder. Admittedly, his current environment is far less competitive than the NBA, but here Hollis-Jefferson found the best version of himself.

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