The sustained rise of Jrue Holiday in this decade has been exemplary. And now, with two championships under his name, the 34-year-old has found his way into the Hall of Fame conversations. Amidst the rising interest in this discussion, Justin Termine openly backed the Boston Celtics star for this achievement, bringing up Chauncey Billups and Mo Cheeks as references.
Advertisement
During his latest appearance on SiriusXM NBA Radio, the NBA analyst compared Holiday’s career with the two Hall of Famers. Giving the Celtics star an edge in this conversation, essentially based on the total championships won, Termine stated,
“Based on the others that are already in [the Hall of Fame], Jrue Holiday should be a lock. Think about this, Mo Cheeks and Chauncey Billups are both in. They have one title. Now Jrue has two…You look at Billups’ resume, you look at Holiday’s resume, Mo Cheeks as well, now Jrue Holiday is for sure Hall of Famer”.
“You look at [Chauncy Billups’] resume…Mo Cheeks as well…now Jrue Holiday is a for sure Hall of Famer”
Justin Termine makes a Hall of Fame case for Boston’s Holiday
@TermineRadio | @JumpShot8 pic.twitter.com/BSyvkGOwCy— SiriusXM NBA Radio (@SiriusXMNBA) June 21, 2024
This justification remains valid even after comparing their overall career accomplishments. For instance, a 34-year-old Holiday is already a 2x champion and 2x All-Star. Additionally, he has solidified his status as a defensive enforcer by making it thrice into each of the All-Defensive First Team and the All-Defensive Second Team.
In comparison, Cheeks won the title once while establishing his legacy as a 4x All-Star. The 67-year-old was also an outstanding defender, finding his place in the All-Defensive First Team four times and the All-Defensive Second Team once.
Billups, however, had a slightly better CV than both. During the Detroit Pistons’ 2004 championship run, the 47-year-old emerged as the talisman, winning the Finals MVP award. The 5x All-Star also retired as an NBA icon after securing one All-NBA Second Team, two All-NBA Third Team, and 2x All-Defensive Second Team selections.
Despite these, Holiday still possesses a strong case due to his supreme career stat line. Averaging 16.1 points, 6.4 assists, 4.2 rebounds, and 1.4 steals per game in his 15-year-long journey, the Celtics star revolutionized modern-day backcourt gameplay to a certain extent.
As Termine rightly pointed out, Holiday could become a Hall of Famer soon after calling it a day. Until then, the California-born can further focus on improving his career to make the argument even more compelling.
