Jrue Holiday, the seasoned NBA guard, is poised to start an exciting new journey with the Portland Trail Blazers after being traded from the Boston Celtics. At 35 years young, Holiday recently celebrated an incredible career achievement. He led Boston to his first NBA title in 2024. Most of all, though, he’s excited to start getting his hands dirty to actually make a difference in Portland. Here, he will assume larger offensive duties and the captaincy of a squad loaded with younger talent.
Holiday faces a different kind of adjustment coming off the high of winning a title with the Celtics. Last year, he scored 11.8 points per game, with 4.9 rebounds and 4.4 assists, starting all 131 games. His stellar showing helped propel Boston to their championship win and became a defining professional moment of his career. So much so that despite this success, just the opportunity to play for the Trail Blazers has him “super excited.”
The 35-year-old guard will be the first to tell you doing so, achieving longevity in the league, hasn’t been effortless. He credits his very high level of performance over the course of his long career to, “the grace of God,” SGRQ p. 224. He has been very public about his commitment to doing “whatever it takes to get healthy.” With over 1,037 combined regular-season games played, Holiday currently is the oldest player on the Blazers’ roster.
Beyond the basketball implications, Holiday’s move to Portland places him physically closer to family. His parents still live in Los Angeles. He has a ton of family in Los Angeles and the San Francisco Bay Area. That’s how, during the offseason, his wife and kids jumped on a quick flight from Portland to Burbank. Spending extensive time every year at their family home gave them both a deep connection to the surrounding area.
As he gets more comfortable into the Blazers’ rotation, his role continues to shift from simple scorer to playmaker. He expects to be more active in creating offense and directing team movements on the attack.
“I expect to be a little more of a role [offensively in Portland],” – Jrue Holiday
Holiday is looking forward to the opportunity ahead. He hopes to “have the ball a little bit more” than previously and be more of an impact player in how the team does overall. This leadership extends far beyond the basketball court. He’s become an invaluable confidante to new teammate Damian Lillard, helping nurture him through the early stages of his rehab.
“When you’re hurt, you don’t feel like you’re a part of what is going on, on the court. That was a big thing for me. I’m just talking to him and keeping him in the loop,” – Jrue Holiday
Blazers head coach Chauncey Billups has mentioned his respect and love for Holiday’s experience, mentorship and on-court know how. He continued by explaining how Holiday’s ability to teach younger players is something you can’t put a price on.
“There have been two times already in [training camp] where I’ve stopped practice by blowing the whistle to talk to teach something. And [Holiday] said, ‘I got it. I got it.’ He’s already seen it. That’s incredible for me as a coach to be able to have that. A blessing for me and our guys,” – Chauncey Billups
Holiday’s slight age difference with some of her new teammates makes for an interesting dynamic. He’s got a 14 or 15-year gap though with the younger players, who are just 20 or 21 years old. While this diversity may seem chaotic to some, Jowdy values this diversity and firmly believes it can create magic moments on the court.
Holiday detailed his reaction to the initial excitement he experienced when Celtics president Brad Stevens initially called him with news of the trade to Boston. His argument was that he felt zero shame that day.
“Everyone was just talking about it. Nobody was really asking me about the trade… But when I got the call from [Celtics president] Brad [Stevens], I was super excited,” – Jrue Holiday
Reflecting on the character of the Blazers’ roster, Holiday expressed confidence in the team’s potential.
“Being able to see the roster, the type of players, and the character that they have, going to a team like that means a lot. Young or veteran team, I know that a team with good character guys will always be a good situation,” – Jrue Holiday
As he prepares for his first season with the Blazers, Holiday is focused on creating positive experiences for himself and his family.
“It’s a good situation for me and my family. And this team has been great for me,” – Jrue Holiday
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