The Boston Celtics' New Star: How Jrue Holiday Led Them to an 18th Championship
When the Milwaukee Bucks traded for Damian Lillard last summer, no one anticipated that Jrue Holiday would end up with the Boston Celtics. Yet, fewer than nine months later, the Celtics added an 18th championship banner to their all-time NBA ledger, thanks in no small part to Holiday's transformative presence on the team.
A Transformative Presence
Holiday made the Celtics an entirely different team, both in tangible and intangible ways. Thriving in a role where he did not need to be the primary scorer or creator, he filled in all the right gaps and elevated Boston's defense to a suffocating level. His impact on the Celtics was immediate and profound.
Brad Stevens' tenure with the Celtics has been marked by some incredible trades, but many argue that acquiring Holiday surpasses his previous achievements—landing Kristaps Porzingis and Derrick White among other notable moves. Holiday's defensive prowess was highlighted during the series against the Dallas Mavericks, where he was Boston's most valuable player.
Defensive Dominance
Holiday's ability to shut down any opponent was particularly crucial against the Mavericks. Until Jayson Tatum put up a line of 31-11-8-2 in the series-clincher, Holiday's Game 2 performance was the standout showing. To find a similar player performance—38 points with zero turnovers in the first two games of a Finals—you'd have to go back to Michael Jordan in 1998.
The Mavericks' chances dwindled as Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving were unable to generate consistent offensive leverage against Holiday's defense. Although Jaylen Brown was impressive, it was Holiday who shackled Doncic and Irving whenever he was on the floor. His consistency was remarkable, making him an invaluable asset in Boston's championship run.
A Proven Winner
If you sign Jrue Holiday, a title shot is almost guaranteed to follow. Place him on teams like the Knicks, the Sixers, the Clippers, or the Lakers, and if they aren’t winning a title, they're certainly in the mix. Holiday is the only player in the league to win two championships in the last four years, having played a crucial role in leading the Bucks to the 2021 championship against the Suns. His defense was so effective that he rendered Chris Paul ineffective during that series.
The Best Defender in the League
Jalen Brunson recently called Holiday the best defender in the league, a sentiment echoed by many who have faced him. Holiday's lateral movement, flexibility, strength, and anticipation are otherworldly. He demoralizes opponents to the point where they hesitate to want the ball in their hands. His contributions extend beyond defense; he consistently makes smart plays, cuts to the right spots, and his ball-hawk instincts help secure long offensive rebounds.
Offensive Contributions
Holiday wrapped up the playoffs with impressive 50-40-95 shooting splits. In the Finals, he averaged just under 15 points, 8 rebounds, and 4 assists on 53/42/100 shooting splits. He scored the first six points for the Celtics in the clincher, feasting in the dunker's spot all series as Tatum drew the defense's attention. Doncic and Irving frequently lost track of Holiday, who slipped in behind them for easy baskets.
Financial Rewards
The championship added to Holiday's financial success as well. He earned a $1.2 million bonus for winning the championship, checking off every incentive bonus available in his contract, totaling an extra $2.8 million. From discovering he had been traded from the Bucks upon waking from a nap to winning the second championship of what is becoming a Hall of Fame career, Holiday's journey over the past year has been extraordinary.
His impact on the Celtics has been immeasurable. In the world of professional sports, sometimes a single player can indeed make all the difference. Jrue Holiday has proven himself to be that player, elevating his teams to championship-caliber heights and cementing his legacy as one of the game's elite defenders and clutch performers.