UCLA Basketball: One-And-Done Bruin-Turned-All-Star Joins US Olympic Team

A beloved former Blue and Gold star continues to make his mark at the pro level!

Aug 7, 2021; Saitama, Japan; Team USA watches the American flag raised during the national anthem. / Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports

Even 15 years into his storied pro career, former one-and-done UCLA Bruins star guard Jrue Holiday remains one of the elite talents in the NBA.

As such, and given his prior experience, it makes sense that the 6'4" Boston Celtics combo guard will once again ply his wares for his country. He's poised to play under head coach Steve Kerr's 12-man Team USA squad at this summer's Paris Olympics, per a UCLA press release.

Holiday previously played for Team USA under then-assistant coach Kerr and head coach Gregg Popovich during the "2020" Tokyo Olympics (which took place in 2021 after a COVID-19 pandemic-induced delay), alongside another one-and-done ex-Bruin, now-Chicago Bulls shooting guard Zach LaVine.

LaVine, recovering from a surgery and now on the outs with his own team, did not make the cut this time.

But Holiday will be joining a starry cast of characters. He'll play with Miami Heat All-Star center Bam Adebayo, Phoenix Suns All-Star guard Devin Booker, Golden State Warriors point guard Stephen Curry, Los Angeles Lakers All-Stars Anthony Davis and LeBron James, Minnesota Timberwolves All-Star shooting guard Anthony Edwards, All-Star Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid, Indiana Pacers All-Star point guard Tyrese Haliburton, LA Clippers All-Star forward Kawhi Leonard and his Celtics teammate Jayson Tatum.

Embiid and Leonard are already struggling to play through nagging injuries in the ongoing playoffs. One wonders if they'll remain on the roster by the summer.

Before being drafted with the No. 19 pick by the Philadelphia 76ers in 2009, Holiday averaged 8.5 points on .450/.307/.726 shooting splits, 3.8 rebounds and 3.7 assists across 35 contests during the 2008-09 season.

This year, for a 64-18 Boston squad that's the No. 1 overall seed in the league, Holiday averaged 12.5 points on .480/.429/.833 shooting splits, 5.4 rebounds and 4.8 assists across 69 healthy games.

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