Off court he dons shirt and tie to mix it with the corporate elite, homemade treats in tow.

It’s a staunch parallel but one that is played out daily for the South Dragons star.

Each morning Holmes sets off to work at the Cowan Design office, a fully-fledged member of the bustling corporate world. Soon enough lunchtime rolls around and, in a scenario not far removed from Clark Kent’s time at The Daily Planet, Holmes tears out of his suit and into his training gear to hit the gym.

It’s a fast and furious life, but Holmes is loving the ride.

“Obviously it’s pretty fortunate to be in a situation where Mark (Cowan) has a business in an area that I’m interested in, so it’s been going really well,” Holmes said.

“I’m working in the account services area which is sort of in between the brains of the business and the designers.

“I’m basically just learning the ropes at the moment, I’m very out of my depth but hopefully I’m getting better and slowly I can become an asset to the business.”

At 23 and on the verge of national selection, Holmes has a big future in basketball.

But the South Australian knows this life won’t last forever.

“I got thrown into uni straight after high school regardless of whether I was playing for the (Adelaide) 36ers or not,” Holmes said.

“I was told I had to go to university or keep some sort of skills going so when I’m 35 and old and slower, I’ve got something to fall back on.”

While basketball remains Holmes’ number one priority, he has appreciated the recent switch from brawn to brainpower.

“Obviously basketball is still number one by a long way but it’s good to keep the mind occupied in the off-season.

“It’s a great mental break from the game and to socialise with people who maybe don’t know that much about basketball or maybe don’t even care is good sometimes too.”

South Dragons chairman Mark Cowan said Holmes’ placement was part of the club’s ongoing plan to set all players up for life after basketball.

“We really believe at the Dragons that it’s the right thing for a club to do to try to look at developing its players professionally, outside of their skills as a player, and to start to plan early for their life beyond basketball,” Cowan said.

“We’ve tried to look for opportunities for a number of our players that will give them the skills to prepare them for the future.

“With Jacob, he’s got a lot of abilities that make him suited to a role in account management.

“He’s got very good people skills, he’s a highly organised and motivated individual and he’s working through the range of skills you need to be successful in the role.”

And, far from taking a back seat in his new environment, Holmes has jumped right into the drivers' side.

“He’s attended client meetings, attended briefings with clients and then come back and briefed the designers in the studio, he’s been involved in putting together strategic presentations for clients and he’s just generally learning the range of what you have to do.

“He’s got a great sense of humour, a great personality and a terrific work ethic. He’s certainly got a career ahead of him if he chooses to pursue it.”

But down to business.

After just a few weeks at work, why has Holmes gained a greater reputation for his line of baked goods than his hold on the corporate sector?

“It’s one of those things where you talk something up – I talked up my mum’s cake and they all forced me to bring one in so I had to carry it home on the plane from Adelaide just to show them how good it was.

“It’s called a sour cream cake, which doesn’t sound too good, but it’s literally the greatest, richest cake.

“It’s not healthy at all and probably not too good for the skin folds, but it’s one of those cakes that’s to die for and, fortunately, it got a rave review in the office so it was all worthwhile.”