Jrue Holiday Singles Out City of Boston for Celtics' Success

Holiday shouted out Boston's culture for why he adapted so well to the Celtics.

Jrue Holiday / Peter Casey-Imagn Images

The Boston Celtics made a surprise offseason splash when they acquired Jrue Holiday from the Portland Trail Blazers just before training camp in 2023. One year later, they enter the 2024-25 season as the reigning NBA Champions, and there's a fair argument that they wouldn't have without Holiday's contributions.

During their title run, Holiday did just about everything the Celtics could have asked of him at an elite level. Even if he's not the same player, Jrue Holiday's role was to fill the holes Marcus Smart was supposed to leave after the Kristaps Porzingis trade, and he did just that and then some.

Holiday came to Boston with quite the resume as a two-time All-Star, five-time All-Defense recipient, and of course, an NBA title to his name, so it wasn't surprising that he fit as well as he did for the Celtics. However, from the horse's mouth, there was another factor at play for his success in Boston.

In an interview with SLAM, Holiday singled out the city of Boston for how it helped set the tone for the Celtics' approach to the game.

“This season, I feel like the city of Boston is kind of like how we play. Hard nosed, blue collar, no excuses. Whatever they ask me to do, I’m going to do, and I feel like the city of Boston is like that,” Holiday said.

Holiday went on to praise the fanbase for their consistent support dating back to when the games didn't even count.

“You should see these fans. I’m telling you, literally from the first preseason game to the last game of the season, they’ve been there supporting, they’ve been there cheering in a way that I’ve never seen before. It’s like one of the craziest experiences that I’ve been a part of. I feel like they appreciate that because [they] understand my game and how I play.”

Most championship teams typically lose one of their key elements after winning the whole thing. The Celtics lost James Posey and PJ Brown after winning Banner 17. While they managed well without them, those two brought key championship elements that are not easily replaced.

Holiday brought more to the table than those two did last season, so not only did the Celtics prioritize keeping him, but they took care of his future before the season was even over. While signing him long-term demonstrated the Celtics' understanding' of his importance, by extension, it also showed how much he loved playing in Boston.

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