I have seen a nickname for Rondae Hollis-Jefferson which I do not understand: “Ronbae”. My limited research indicates that “bae” has entered the urban vernacular as a term of endearment for one’s significant other or for an exceptionally attractive person. That part makes sense to me. I’m not one of those English-language purists whose latent racism gets exposed when young urban youths create and use a new term. But the nickname “Ronbae” indicates that there are Nets fans who view Hollis-Jefferson as “bae” or as “a bae” or as “their bae”.
From my unbiased view, Hollis-Jefferson is reasonably attractive, but his facial features are too small for his head. As somebody in the comments section of my previous RHJ video astutely pointed out, he looks like a 2K face scan gone wrong.
I also doubt that Hollis-Jefferson’s girlfriend, if he even has one, is the sole party responsible for posting all the “Ronbae”s that have ever been posted on the internet.
The only conclusion I can come to is people are using this nickname ironically to mock RHJ’s not-quite-attractiveness, or as a form of masculine homosexual ideation, where people use the nickname to suggest jokingly that they themselves are attracted to men.
If Nets fans want to explain the thinking behind “Ronbae” in more detail, I will listen with great interest.