[Highlights] Rondae-Hollis Jefferson hooping like Kobe
Quite uncanny besides the funky jumpshot
Exactly. He moves just like kobe minus that
Honestly more players that can’t cut it in the NBA anymore should do this. Go abroad and cosplay as your favorite player
He is playing for Jordan’s national team as a naturalized citizen, not “cosplaying”. RHJ has been balling for Jordan this isn’t new
Michael Jordan has a national team?? The GOAT convo is over
LeBranon would like to have a word.
Yes, this has been going on for a while and yes Jordan is a real country. But also yes, he is cosplaying as Kobe.
Whoosh
Me when I completely misread a comment and decide to reply with snark
Nah, Kobe was smoother. RHJ looks erratic compared to him.
Idk why you’re downvoted this dude looks a lot more out of control
Idk either. It’s really not even close other than him wearing 24 and being similar in size. MarShon Brooks is the last player I remember watching thinking if you overlayed Kobe you wouldn’t know the difference.
Yeah this looks like early career Frobe if you want to be super generous, but 00 Kobe onwards was significantly smoother, he had arguably the best footwork for a guard of all time and RHJ is…not that
He even went forearm band with the skin taper, this is crazy
Left handed kobe
Looks like Odom a bit also
kobe was left-handed for awhile when his fingers were broken
How fast they forget about our GOAT.
The short hair, the jersey number, the forearm band
The gather is also weirdly similar, not sure how to explain it
Even chew his gum like Kobe
Lefty Kobe
idk why but “like kobe” sounds way too official here
TIL this guy is only 31 years old
I was so high on him on the Nets in his second and third year. Great versatile defender, solid at going to the rim but had a bad jumper, he could have been such a quality player in the NBA
loved him when he played for the raps
Rondae Hustle Jefferson
I remember he would always go crazy getting iso buckets in garbage time on the raps. Obviously in meaningful minutes, he would play completely differently because there are better offensive options on the team and he just wasn’t consistent enough and was undersized without a good jumper. But the skills were there and it was cool to see him show out against third stringers even if it wasn’t effective enough against the highest level.
Rondae haul-ass Jefferson
Was this the Dinwiddie \ LeVert nets? They were must see TV!
That was a fun team to watch.
I really thought he’d be something.
Soooo tari Eason? Man rondae could have got a 80m contract and then complained about it 😂
I mean in NBA years that’s only like 3-4 great years (for elite level players until decline)
Not only elite players. Plenty of career role players are quality players into their mid-30s.
“only”
Looks like kobe too, he should change his name to Holy Bryant
You can’t tell me he isn’t cosplaying on purpose, loose jersey and everything, even has the wristband on the forearm
I saw RHJ play in-person during the 2023 World Cup when Jordan played Egypt and I can say for certain this man was purely just impersonating Kobe.
Fresh off several performances that had the internet buzzing about his resemblance to Kobe, this dude was pretty much invisible and a non-factor in a game where he was the only player with NBA experience.
…wearing Kobe’s too lol
Nothing coincidental about it.
Already got the 24 number on the jersey
Yea I didn’t even see the title and thought it was Kobe just from the thumbnail
Helicopters are seething at this point
Get this man some acting classes. He could actually play Kobe in that 1996 Draft class movie that they’re making.
Just mirrored cause he’s a lefty
I wonder who will play Iverson and Shareef Abdur-Rahim
Any more info on this movie ?
It’s apparently more about the Nets GM at the time, John Nash, and his pursuit of Kobe in the draft.
Nah they gotta give the role to Michael B Jordan to complete the loop
“I am closer to Kobe than you are to me”
I dunno I can get pretty close to his grave.
flair checks out, geographically
Right? There’s some haters that can’t get to Orange County downvoting me.
its the coinflip of making fun of a guy with a cult following
if stans see the post first it gets downvoted
if the haters (usually people fed up with the stans) see it first it gets upvoted
I mostly just downvote the tastelessness of making fun of the helicopter crash that killed basically a whole family and Kobe’s daughter.
It’s kid’s shit.
You’re stretching.
How is it stretching?
I don’t really hate on Kobe, I actually really like him because you can’t just hate on a guy who copied the absolute pinnacle of aura with MJ, I just don’t like this insistence that he’s above Lebron from a very loud and very annoying portion of Laker fans and their homer (which is often also mainstream) media, virulent enough that they don’t realize their post-Lebron years are gonna be rough, no picks, no veteran leaders, uneven defensive talent, and a scoring duo whose health and/or conditioning are suspect.
Im sorry, he’s Jordanian????
He got naturalised to become a Jordanian
They said to play like Jordan and he heard play on Jordan.
“Hey, whatever gets me playing time.”
Nope
Hooping like jordan ON Jordan
This will remain one of the more unique changes of playstyles I’ve seen. From a hard-nosed defender who couldn’t be relied on offensively, to a go-to scorer. Obviously the competiton is vastly different but I don’t think NBA RHJ had these skills back then. It’s like he recognized that returning to the NBA would be a reach and instead developed his game where he could maximize his value overseas.
I can’t speak for his Nets days, but on the raptors he would always go crazy getting iso buckets in garbage time. He was joked as a garbage time goat on the raptors. But in meaningful minutes, he would play completely differently like you said because there are better offensive options on the team and he just wasn’t consistent enough and was undersized without a good jumper. The skills were there though, but it wasn’t effective enough against the highest level.
Thanks for the insight. Wasn’t aware of this but goes to show he had some semblance of this playstyle during the last years of his NBA career
I think it was year 3 or 4 where he randomly starting hitting jumpers. Like it was crazy, he could not miss from mid-range and his shot looked pure. And then he hurt his shoulder and had to sit out for only a little bit. When he came back, the shot was just gone and he couldn’t hit a jumper anymore.
No clue what happened but I think about what might have happened if he kept that momentum up with us, he legit won us multiple games just iso-ing and hitting jumpers for us during a dark period.
Jerami Grant did this too just didn’t have to go overseas. I was happy to see him become more of a scorer when he left Denver but it’s like he just gave up on playing defense lol
Offense gets players paid. Good defenders don’t go for much on the market.
I get it but I wish he’d lock back in on that side of the ball, versatile switchable defenders who can also score 20+ don’t grow on trees
Play good defense and get paid less for a chance at a championship or get points, make more money, and try to snag an all-star spot.
3 and D guys do get paid, though
He was probably “staying in his lane” while still possessing those offensive skills because there were teammates better than him. Kevon Looney was being compared to KD because of smooth offense but switched up his focus to that of a rugged defender when he went pro. I bet he would light up weaker competition just like RHJ
UofA!
One of my favorite Arizona players. Never forget the shimmy.
I still remember Sean Miller telling him that he can’t do the shimmy anymore and then he proceeded to miss almost every free throw until Miller backtracked and he started drilling them again, lol
SGA would have been on the ground after half these shots
Nope. He just played a more physical team yesterday
Dunno why you got downvoted you’re right. SGA was cooking too, actually one of the more fun players to watch when he’s actively trying to get a bucket
Rent free
Yeah this has become the NBA version of the “This is why that’s bad for Biden” meme.
Not as aesthetically pleasing tho
Yeah something just isn’t as smooth and fluid as Kobe made it look even on the the fly. Not knocking on the guy, just doesn’t have the effortless movement Kobe had. But if it works it works.
He’s the working man’s Kobe.
not so swaggy
First time, nephews?
2K19 Dunk Contest legend Rondae-Hollis Jefferson
RHJ is a popular import in the Philippines league.
That’s a lefty Jordan
Best import that the Philippines ever had.
Wagyu Bryant pumps fake! He scored!
Bear Down!
Wow that brought me to tears.
i thought this guy was the next iguodala when he was at arizona.
RHJ has always been one of those guys where you look at him and think ‘how is he this good with that frame.’ Lean, long, not bulky at all, but he played bigger than his body. His body type was never the typical NBA wing build - more like a wiry forward who just made it work through effort. Always appreciated how he used his length instead of trying to bulk up.
He should have been in an 2017 Iguodala type role, imho
During Kobe’s retirement tour, the Nets had RHJ personally give him a book of poems as a parting gift.
Damn. He handles like Kobe but his shot, especially follow-through, are not like Kobe at all
RHJ24
Im sad. I thought there was a current World Cup going qualifiers at least going on to watch some basketball.
Temu kobe
I want this man NOW
TNT LEGEND. I MISS YOU MY GOAT
the goat of tnt
Well he IS wearing 24.
My ninja headband king 🥲
Bro said in this league in Kobe.
Process legend
Colby Brian
Our daily reminder that the random NBA washout is still one of the best players on the planet.
Up there with post retirement Scalabrine destroying people on court.
Temu Kobe
19 is legal clowb
Yeah i’ve seen enough. Someone sign this man
An unnamed basketball scout said they had him ranked as the 7th best player on the Jordan team
That’s mamba mentality
Every FIBA tournament dude looks unstoppable. He’s so good.
Good lefties seem like they have an advantage somehow,
You can tell who has been around since the raptor doodoo days
🎶R-R-R-Rondae doin’ work, 2-4 on his shirt….🎶
That’s a name I haven’t heard in a long time
What tournament is this?
World Cup
His face last 0:10 sec kills me everytime lol
Ngl I enjoyed watching this, man was HOOPING lol
Still confused as to wtf happened here. He never did this for the raps lol
He plays like Kobe but plays for Jordan.
Playing like Kobe and playing for Jordan
Kobe Temu
Is this a latest one?
Why does it look like he shoots after the ball has already left his hands?
Footwork is pretty clean and attacking bodies like Kobe too.
For anyone wondering, it’s an old footage from WC ‘23.
Why is he playing for Jordan???
Naturalized.
Okay wow he actually did look like Kobe the way he moved
yeah… I still like watching basketball. I just dont like watching modern NBA…
“Coby Briant”
I played against benchwarmers of a D1 university - they looked like Jordan. I can’t even imagine the gap of an NBA player vs. players who never made it to the league.
Kobeee!
I didn’t even have to squint that hard to think it was Kobe
wait how tf is he only 31 felt like hes been around forever
24 possessed him
Moves like both Kobe and Mike!!!
Effortlessly!!
He actually does move like Kobe lol
Jumpshot looks weird as hell
Nets finest
He’s playing against scrubs.
Looks like Kobe, hoops like Kobe, but puts up numbers like Kobe? Hmmmmm
That’s more SGA
This is more bad defense than him hooping like Kobe.
no, it is not about defense. it is about his style of play.