UCLA Basketball: Jrue Holiday Sat Out Team USA's Latest Olympic Win With Injury

Former Bruins standout Jrue Holiday sat out Team USA's most recent game with what appears to be an ankle injury.

Jul 31, 2024; Villeneuve-d'Ascq, France; United States guard Jrue Holiday (12) dribbles against South Sudan shooting guard Peter Jok (14) in the fourth quarter during the Paris 2024 Olympic Summer Games at Stade Pierre-Mauroy. Mandatory Credit: John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports / John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports

In their most recent game at the Paris Olympics, Team USA overpowered Puerto Rico with a score of 104-83, guaranteeing the top seed in the rest of the tournament.

The game truly showed the dominance of the American team, with six players scoring in the double digits. Guard Anthony Edwards proved to be the MVP, scoring 26 points while also earning three rebounds, three assists, and two steals.

While many big names came out to play, including Jayson Tatum, Joel Embiid, Steph Curry, LeBron James, and Anthony Davis, one player was noticeably missing: Jrue Holiday.

A standout guard for the Boston Celtics, Holiday showed his effectiveness in USA's game against South Sudan, scoring 15 points alongside four rebounds, three assists, and two steals.

According to a report from Luke Adams of Hoops Rumors, Holiday was absent from the game due to an ankle injury. Fortunately, it doesn't appear to be serious, and Holiday will more than likely return for USA's game on Tuesday, August 6.

"He would've played had this been a medal-round game," head coach Steve Kerr said, per Brian Windhorst of ESPN. "But it made sense to give him the night, give him an extra couple of days to heal."

Honestly, it's a smart move. Team USA clinched the top seed entering the quarterfinals and will face Brazil in the first game of the single-elimination portion of the tournament. While this may seem like an easy matchup, Brazil is one of two teams left in the tournament the US hasn't faced. Despite finishing 1-2 in their pool, there is an air of mystery around the team.

Despite only playing at UCLA for a single year, Jrue Holiday made his mark as a Bruin. In 35 games, he averaged 8.5 points, 3.8 rebounds, 3.7 assists, and 1.6 steals, earning a place on the Pac-10 All-Freshman Team in 2009.

His biggest highlight came when he scored a career-high 20 points against Florida International with perfect 8-for-8 shooting. He only played 19 minutes.

After that year, he declared for the NBA Draft and was selected 17th overall by the Philadelphia 76ers. During his 15-year career, Holiday also played with the New Orleans Pelicans, Milwaukee Bucks, and Celtics.

Holiday is a two-time NBA Champion (2021, 2024), two-time NBA All-Star, three-time NBA All-Defensive First Team, and three-time NBA All-Defensive Second Team. He earned his first gold medal at the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games.

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