UCLA Basketball: Jrue Holiday Benched in Team USA Olympic Blowout Victory vs Puerto Rico

The former Bruin legend was slighted in yet another dominant W.

Jul 28, 2024; Villeneuve-d'Ascq, France; United States guard Jrue Holiday (12) passes in the first quarter against Serbia 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

Former one-and-done UCLA Bruins combo guard Jrue Holiday has been the perimeter defensive MVP for Team USA men's basketball in the Paris Olympics thus far.

The Boston Celtics All-Defensive Second Teamer, trying to be the first player since Scottie Pippen to win two Olympics men's basketball gold medals after winning an NBA championship, has frequently taken on the toughest coverage assignment in the Olympic games to this point.

That made head coach Steve Kerr's decision to bench the 6-foot-4 vet entirely during Team USA's 104-83 victory over Team Puerto Rico on Sunday all the more confounding. Holiday was the only player among the program's 12-man roster to sit out. Since the start of pool play games (i.e. after Team USA's five exhibition matchups, all wins), Kerr has made a point to toggle his rotations, shifting starters in and out around his three mainstays: Los Angeles Lakers All-NBA combo forward LeBron James, Golden State Warriors All-NBA point guard Stephen Curry, and Phoenix Suns All-Star shooting guard Devin Booker. Kerr typically has 10 or 11 Team USA players suit up.

Holiday started Team USA's second game of the group stage, a 110-84 decimation of Nikola Jokic and Team Serbia on Wednesday. In that matchup, he scored 15 points on an efficient 6-of-8 shooting from the floor (3-of-5 from beyond the arc), while passing for three assists, grabbing four rebounds and nabbing a pair of steals.

Across the two games Holiday has played, he's averaging 10 points on 8-of-13 shooting from the field (4-of-8 from long range), three rebounds, two assists, and one steal a night.

The two-time All-Star and six-time All-Defensive Teamer is looking to solidify his legacy and further cement his claim for potential Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame inclusion. His individual accolades, combined with his probable two Olympic gold medals and at least two NBA championships for two different teams (where he was a critical starter on both title teams) certainly give him an outside shot.

The 34-year-old was selected with the No. 17 pick in the 2009 NBA Draft following his single season with UCLA. And he hasn't shown many signs of slippage yet. Last year, he did see his numbers take a massive dip from his All-Star 2022-23 run with the Milwaukee Bucks, but that was more a function of his role on the Celtics than it was an indicator of any qualitative erosion. He averaged 12.5 points on a .480/.329/.833 slash line, along with 5.4 rebounds, 4.8 assists, 0.9 steals and 0.8 blocks. In addition to his All-Defensive Second Team accolade, Holiday finish sixth in Defensive Player of the Year voting.

More UCLA: Eric Bieniemy Comments on 'Freedom' Ethan Garbers Has Now