As a high school standout in Chester, Pa., Rondae Hollis-Jefferson encountered losing about as frequently as graffiti written in hieroglyphics. He was 91-5 in three years.
“In high school I felt like I couldn’t lose,” Hollis-Jefferson said. “College, I felt the same way.”
Yup, two years at Arizona resulted in a 67-9 record, a pair of Pac-12 titles and two trips to the Elite Eight. Winning was a way of life.
Then he became a Net. Fourteen losses in five seasons through high school and college? Heck, the Nets can match that in a week. In Hollis-Jefferson’s first two seasons in Brooklyn, the Nets won 41 games. They lost 123.
But Jefferson tried something that was so crazy, it just might work. He sought the positive in every loss, every disappointment, every frustration. He refused to get beaten down.
“It comes down to who you are as a person. I feel my foundation and my core is so solid even with adversity, I stayed with who I was: a positive, happy, fulfilled person who is eager to want more and eager to be better,” said Hollis-Jefferson, who has been producing career-best numbers in his third season. “That’s what gets me over the hump: always curious, always trying to get the positive out of everything.”
So while others may have crawled into a corner and swallowed a bottle of turpentine, Hollis-Jefferson seeks advancement. The longest-tenured Net with 142 games behind him — the next is Saturday at Barclays Center against the No. 1 Eastern team, Boston — Hollis-Jefferson appreciates the gains made by himself, by the team. And he sees many. He, more than most, is pumped by the Nets beating the Magic and Timberwolves back-to-back before playing the Celtics.
“When you get to the NBA, it’s pretty much everyone’s talented, everyone is here because they can do something good so it comes down to the little things,” said the 23-year-old, 6-foot-7 small forward who played just 29 games in his rookie season because of a right ankle fracture.
Some of those “little things” are falling into place for the Nets. Sure, there’s a playoff dream this season — they were only four games out of the eighth spot entering Friday. But there is an appreciation of doing what it takes to get there.
“First, getting things in order, being organized. Next it’s consistency. I’m really proud of what you don’t see in numbers,” Hollis-Jefferson said. “How people come in and work on their bodies, how people come in and work on the court, the development in the individual guys that creates success. It’s starting to show.”
Again, little things. A road win over Orlando followed by a home win over a good Minnesota team. The Nets last season won one January game. So 2-0 in 2018 looks like a steak dinner to a starving non-vegetarian.
Hollis-Jefferson is averaging 14.9 points — up from the 7.9 mark of his first two seasons. Actually, everything is up. Shooting, assists, rebounds. He has scored 20 points six times — he did that twice in his first two seasons.
Defensively, suffice to say there could be a terrific barroom argument in New York between Knicks and Nets fans. Who is the best NBA defender in New York now, Lance Thomas or Hollis-Jefferson?
“That’s just my mentality. It came from how I grew up, taking pride in not letting someone embarrass you,” Hollis-Jefferson said. “That’s been my mentality ever since I was a kid. My brother [Rahlir] was really good at defense and I looked up to him. It just became part of my game.”
And because of that, Nets coach Kenny Atkinson gave Hollis-Jefferson a wonderful 23rd birthday present Wednesday: 7-foot Karl-Anthony Towns as a defensive assignment.
“He knows I’m always up for the challenge, no matter how big,” said Hollis-Jefferson, who said it comes with the territory. “I’ve changed a lot, but the biggest thing is my mentality. I’ve grown so much. The way I handle myself is more professional.”
And all that helps him see the good through the bad.