Jrue Holiday

1.1. Family and Childhood

Holiday was born to Shawn and Toya (née DeCree) Holiday. Both of his parents played college basketball at Arizona State University, with his mother, Toya, being named Pac-10 Player of the Year in 1982. He has two older brothers, Justin and Aaron, both of whom are also professional NBA players. His younger sister, Lauren, played college basketball for the UCLA women's team. Jrue's mother had a tradition of giving her children names starting with "J," which included his cousins Jessica, Jenna, Jade, Jaelyn, and James, as well as his oldest brother Justin. Jrue's own name derived from his mother liking "Dru" and adapting it to fit the "J" theme. However, this tradition later ended, as his sister's name is Lauren and his youngest brother's name is Aaron.

1.2. High School Career

Holiday attended Campbell Hall School in the Studio City district of Los Angeles, California. During his senior year, he showcased exceptional talent, averaging 25.9 points, 11.2 rebounds, 6.9 assists, and 4.8 steals per game. His strong performance contributed to Campbell Hall's impressive 31-5 record and a victory in the California Division IV state title. He was recognized as the top point guard and the second overall prospect in the Class of 2008 by Rivals.com.

Holiday received numerous accolades during his high school career, including being named the 2008 Gatorade National Player of the Year. He was also honored as a Parade first-team All-American in 2008 and a third-team All-American in 2007. In 2008, he was named California Mr. Basketball. He participated in the McDonald's All-American Game, where he recorded 14 points, five rebounds, three assists, and five steals. Beyond basketball, Holiday was actively involved in school activities, serving as a member of Campbell Hall's gospel choir, the percussion section leader in the school's orchestra, and the manager of the school's girls' tennis team, demonstrating his versatile character.

3.1. Philadelphia 76ers (2009-2013)

Jrue Holiday was drafted 17th overall by the Philadelphia 76ers in the 2009 NBA draft. In his rookie season, he was immediately inserted into the starting lineup. On April 3, 2010, he scored a season-high 25 points against the Toronto Raptors. In his second season, on November 5, 2010, Holiday set a new career high with 29 points against the Cleveland Cavaliers. He recorded his first career triple-double with 11 points, 10 rebounds, and 11 assists against the New Jersey Nets on February 2, 2011.

During the 2011-12 season, Holiday continued to develop, achieving a new career high with 30 points against the Chicago Bulls on March 17, 2012. The 2012-13 season proved to be a breakout year for Holiday. He set a new career high with 33 points against the Phoenix Suns on November 25, 2012, and recorded his second career triple-double against the same team on January 2, 2013, with 16 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists. He matched his 33-point career high against the Toronto Raptors on January 18 and then surpassed it, scoring a career-high 35 points against the New York Knicks on January 26. Just two days earlier, the 22-year-old Holiday was selected as a reserve for the Eastern Conference All-Star team for the 2013 NBA All-Star Game, making him the youngest player in franchise history to be named an All-Star.

3.2. New Orleans Pelicans (2013-2020)

On July 12, 2013, Holiday was traded to the New Orleans Pelicans in exchange for Nerlens Noel and the Pelicans' 2014 first-round draft pick. This trade later became controversial, as the NBA fined the Philadelphia 76ers 3.00 M USD in June 2015 for not disclosing the full extent of Holiday's stress fracture injury to the Pelicans at the time of the trade.

His tenure with the Pelicans was initially marked by significant injury challenges. His 2013-14 season ended prematurely in February 2014 after he underwent season-ending surgery for a stress fracture in his right tibia, having not played since January 8. In 34 games, he averaged 14.3 points, 7.9 assists, and 1.6 steals per game. On January 5, 2015, he reached 5,000 career points against the Washington Wizards. However, he faced another setback on February 18, when he was ruled out for three weeks after aggravating a lower right leg injury, eventually missing 41 games before returning on April 10 against the Phoenix Suns.

On March 9, 2016, Holiday scored a career-high 38 points against the Charlotte Hornets. His season ended prematurely again on March 29 after he was diagnosed with a right interior orbital wall fracture. The 2016-17 season saw Holiday make his debut on November 18, 2016, after missing the first 12 games on a leave of absence to care for his wife. He scored 21 points in 23 minutes in a victory over the Portland Trail Blazers. On January 23, 2017, he recorded 33 points and 10 assists in a 124-122 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers.

On July 6, 2017, Holiday re-signed with the Pelicans. The 2017-18 season saw a strong return to form. On November 9, he had a season-high 34 points and 11 assists against the Toronto Raptors. Six days later, he scored 37 points against the Houston Rockets. On February 25, 2018, he led the Pelicans to a 123-121 overtime victory over the Milwaukee Bucks, scoring 28 of his 36 points after halftime. On March 6, Holiday recorded 19 points and a career-high 17 assists in a 121-116 victory over the Los Angeles Clippers. On March 27, he achieved a triple-double with 21 points, 11 assists, and 11 rebounds in a loss to the Portland Trail Blazers.

In the 2018 playoffs, Holiday delivered pivotal performances. In Game 2 of the first-round series against the Trail Blazers, he scored a playoff career-high 33 points, contributing to a 111-102 victory and a 2-0 series lead. In Game 4, he surpassed that with 41 points, leading the Pelicans to a 131-123 victory and a clean 4-0 sweep of the Trail Blazers. The Pelicans advanced to the second round where they faced the Golden State Warriors, losing in five games despite Holiday's 27 points, 10 rebounds, and 11 assists in Game 5.

On November 7, 2018, Holiday recorded 17 points, 10 rebounds, and nine assists against the Chicago Bulls, surpassing 2,000 career assists. On December 3, he had season highs of 32 points and 14 assists in a loss to the Clippers. Six days later, he scored 37 points in a victory over the Detroit Pistons. On January 29, 2019, he made history by becoming the first guard in NBA history to record at least 17 points, six rebounds, seven assists, and six blocks in a single game, achieving 19 points, eight assists, six rebounds, and a career-high six blocks in a win over the Houston Rockets. On March 26, 2019, Holiday underwent season-ending surgery to repair a core muscle injury.

On December 28, 2019, Holiday made history with his brothers, Justin and Aaron, of the Indiana Pacers. They became the first trio of brothers to share an NBA court simultaneously. On March 8, 2020, Holiday scored a season-high 37 points, along with nine rebounds and eight assists, in a 120-107 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves.

3.3. Milwaukee Bucks (2020-2023)

On November 24, 2020, Jrue Holiday was traded to the Milwaukee Bucks as part of a significant four-team trade that also involved the Denver Nuggets and Oklahoma City Thunder. In this deal, the Pelicans acquired Eric Bledsoe, Steven Adams, and draft compensation. Holiday immediately made an impact on the Bucks, known for his defensive intensity and clutch play.

On March 4, 2021, Holiday demonstrated his clutch ability by hitting a game-winning 11 ft jump shot against the Memphis Grizzlies. On April 3, he scored a season-high 33 points with seven rebounds and 11 assists in a narrow 129-128 victory over the Sacramento Kings. The following day, he agreed to a four-year contract extension with the Bucks, worth up to 160.00 M USD. He was later selected for the NBA First Team All-Defense, averaging a team-high 1.63 steals per game, ranking fifth in the league and accumulating the second-most multi-steal games that season.

3.3.1. 2021 NBA Championship

Holiday played a pivotal role in the Milwaukee Bucks' run to the 2021 NBA Finals, their first Finals appearance since 1974. On May 24, 2021, in Game 2 of the first-round playoff series against the Miami Heat, Holiday recorded a postseason career-high 15 assists, alongside 11 points and seven rebounds, in a dominant 132-98 victory. The Bucks swept the series in four games. In Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Finals against the Atlanta Hawks, Holiday's 27 points, nine rebounds, and nine assists contributed significantly to a 118-107 victory that sent the Bucks to the Finals.

In Game 5 of the NBA Finals against the Phoenix Suns, Holiday delivered a critical performance, tallying 27 points, four rebounds, and 13 assists. Most notably, with less than 20 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter, he made a crucial steal from Devin Booker and immediately followed it with an alley-oop pass to Giannis Antetokounmpo, which sealed a 123-119 victory for the Bucks. In Game 6, Holiday secured his first NBA championship with a near triple-double performance, recording 12 points, nine rebounds, and 11 assists, as the Bucks defeated the Suns 105-98, clinching the series 4-2. His two-way mastery was a defining factor in the championship run.

3.3.2. 2021-22 season: Coming up short

In October 2021, Holiday missed six games due to an ankle injury. Upon his return, he continued to be a crucial player for the Bucks, especially when other "Big Three" members were sidelined. On December 15, 2021, he recorded 26 points and 14 assists in a 114-99 victory over the Indiana Pacers, a game where Giannis Antetokounmpo and Khris Middleton were absent. Two days later, he scored a career-high 40 points, along with five rebounds and five assists, in a 116-112 overtime loss against his former team, the New Orleans Pelicans.

Holiday showcased his clutch abilities again on March 2, 2022, sinking a game-winning driving layup with 1.9 seconds left to cap a 14-point comeback in the final six minutes, leading the Bucks to a 120-119 victory over the Miami Heat. He finished that game with 25 points, six rebounds, 11 assists, and two steals. In the next game, he scored 16 of his 26 points in the fourth quarter to help the Bucks defeat the Chicago Bulls 118-112. On March 31, he recorded a season-high six steals, alongside 18 points and eight rebounds, in a 120-119 overtime victory over the Brooklyn Nets.

In the 2022 NBA playoffs, Holiday continued his strong defensive and offensive play. On April 24, during Game 4 of the first round against the Bulls, he posted 26 points and seven assists in a 119-95 victory. On May 7, in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals, he scored 25 points, including the game-winner, in a narrow 103-101 victory over the Boston Celtics. Four days later, in Game 5, Holiday's defensive heroics were highlighted as he stopped Marcus Smart on the Celtics' final two plays, recording a block and a steal to secure a 110-107 comeback victory. He finished the game with 24 points, eight rebounds, and eight assists. However, the Bucks were ultimately eliminated by the Celtics in Game 7 on May 15, despite Holiday's 21 points, five rebounds, eight assists, and two steals.

3.4. Boston Celtics (2023-present)

On September 27, 2023, Jrue Holiday was initially traded to the Portland Trail Blazers as part of a complex three-team deal that sent Damian Lillard to the Milwaukee Bucks. Just four days later, Holiday was traded again, this time to the Boston Celtics, in exchange for Robert Williams III, Malcolm Brogdon, and two future first-round draft picks. This move solidified the Celtics' roster and positioned Holiday as a key component of their championship aspirations.

On April 10, 2024, Holiday signed a four-year, 135.00 M USD contract extension with the Celtics, with 100.00 M USD guaranteed, securing his future with the team until the end of the 2027-28 season.

8.1. NBA Regular Season

8.2. NBA Playoffs

8.3. College