The Boston Celtics have taken a commanding 3-0 lead against the Dallas Mavericks after Game 3 of the NBA Finals. Standing just one win away from an NBA championship now, Jayson Tatum reflected on Jrue Holiday in his postgame interview. And in every sense, the 26-year-old seemed to be in awe of his teammate.
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Sitting down with Charles Barkley and other former NBA players, Tatum immediately praised Jrue Holiday’s efforts when the Philadelphia 76ers legend brought up his performance.
“I don’t know how they let us get him but, I’m so happy that we got Jrue on our team, we’re just very fortunate. He just makes winning plays. He’s obviously been here and won a championship.”
Tatum clearly couldn’t stop gushing about his teammate, as he further went on to explain just how much a difference Holiday makes on the defensive end,
“More than anything, he raises everybody else’s level on defense, right? On a team like we have, you don’t wanna be the weakest link on defense. We all take pride and guarding and it starts with Jrue Holiday and we’re just trying to match his level.”
Charles Barkley: “It’s a pleasure and a privilege to watch him [Jrue] play defense…he’s the biggest difference on y’all team this year.”
Jayson Tatum: “I don’t know how they let us get him but, I’m so happy that we got Jrue on our team.”
via @NBATV
— Hoop Central (@TheHoopCentral) June 13, 2024
So far in the 2024 NBA Playoffs, Jrue Holiday has averaged 13.5 points, 6.1 rebounds, 4.5 assists, 1.3 steals, and 0.6 blocks per game. He has also shot an efficient 51.3% from the field, and 40.3% from beyond the arc.
Simply put, the guard has been exactly what the doctor ordered for Boston, even in the postseason. So, it is hard to blame Tatum for questioning how his team acquired the player in the first player.
Looking back at the trade that brought Jrue Holiday to the Boston Celtics, the Bucks initially parted ways with Holiday in the Damian Lillard trade, sending him to the Blazers.
However, before the guard ever suited up for Portland, the Celtics offered Malcolm Brogdon and Robert Williams III in exchange for the UCLA veteran. And as soon as the Oregon side agreed, Boston had what now seems like the final piece they required to finally win an NBA championship again.
With Jayson Tatum and Co. now just a win away from glory, they will likely be thanking Jrue Holiday for his contributions already. However, the job isn’t finished just yet, something the 2021 NBA champion will remind his team of repeatedly, ahead of Game 4.
