Jrue Holiday to miss start of season as wife recovers from brain surgery

New Orleans Pelicans guard Jrue Holiday will miss an indefinite amount of time to start the season as he cares for his newborn child and wife, who will be recovering from brain surgery.

New Orleans Pelicans guard Jrue Holiday will miss an indefinite amount of time to start the season as he cares for his newborn child and wife, who will be recovering from brain surgery, according to the Times-Picayune. 

Lauren Holiday, a former professional soccer player and member of two U.S. Olympic gold medal squads, was diagnosed with a tumor on her brain in June. The tumor is operable and she is expected to make a full recovery.

Doctors will perform the operation after the birth of the couples’ daughter, which is still a few months away. With the NBA season starting on Oct. 26, Holiday could miss a significant portion of the season as he cares for his family during his wife’s recovery.

“My family comes before basketball,” Holiday said. “I’m obviously blessed to play this game and be in the position I am in, but my wife is the most important thing in the world to me. She comes before anything else.”

The Pelicans have not set a timetable for Holiday’s return, although he will remain on the active roster while he is away from the team. 

After dealing with injuries over the last few seasons, Holiday played in 65 games in 2015–16, averaging 16.8 points and 6.0 assists.