What Jefferson possesses above everything else is an emboldened attitude that says he's willing to take on anyone at any time, and though you might get him now, he will eventually get you later.
The mindset started young, watching everything Rahlir used to do. The Seventh Street court was their home. It's where the brothers, four years apart, would wage their personal wars. Rahlir would always win, which the exception of one time, when, Rahlir says, he let baby brother get the better of him.
"It's why Rahlir doesn't want to play me anymore," Rondae says, laughing. "But everything I got, I got from him. I used to follow him everywhere. I think my drive came from wanting to be better than him. Everywhere I used to go in Chester growing up, I'd hear it, how good Rahlir is, and how great Rahlir is. I always felt I had big shoes to fill. Everywhere I went, they would bring up Rahlir. He was standard, even in video games. He'd always beat me. I'd slam the joystick down, and it would always turn into a fight. Then he'd tell me if I wanted to play again, I couldn't act that way. I learned I couldn't beat him, but I found out I could learn those times that I lost. I would always go against kids older than me and they would win. But when it came time to play against kids my own age, I knew from experience playing the older guys what I could do. Rahlir helped me grow up. I started to realize I couldn't win everything."
Just most of the time.
From a distance now, Rahlir watches his younger sibling. They're extremely close. Rondae never misses a Temple game, when it doesn't conflict with Chester's schedule, and when the Owls are off during the season, you'll always find Rahlir up in the stands watching everything Rondae does.
Rahlir is Rondae's hero, though he'd never tell his older brother that directly, while Rahlir can't hope enough good things to happen for Rondae. But the two are distinctly different. Rondae walks into a room and with his bright smile and exuberant personality, within minutes everyone knows he's there. Rahlir is stoic, uncomfortable talking about himself, yet more than willing to talk about Rondae.
"My attitude with him has always been if I set the bar high for myself, he's going to set the bar high," Rahlir said. "I do want him to be better than me. You won't catch me saying that to his face, but I do. I get on him about some things, because I want to push him. I know I can't go out there and play for him, but he wants to be the best at everything. And he wants to play the best. If LeBron James was out there, Rondae would want to play him, and he wouldn't back down. He'd get beat and come back for me until he won. That's the way he's always been. Back when he was 11 he beat me once, but I let him. I never saw him in a situation where he's afraid to play anyone - or to talk to anyone."
Rondae and Rahlir have a pact with one another. They'll never play college basketball together, but they can meet at another level, where they can play together or go against each other - the NBA.
"That's the goal," Rondae said. "We both want to get there. The big push is for our mom (Rylanda Hollis). We both want to succeed for her. She raised us with my Pop-pop (Carl Hollis). She'd work all day and sometimes overnight, come home dead tired and still cook us breakfast. We never wanted for anything. That's because of her. It's why I always tell Rahlir, 'Make mommy proud.'"
It looks like they both have already.
Rondae Jefferson and his mother, Rylanda Hollis.
Photo by Joseph Santoliquito
