Celtics’ Jrue Holiday Opened Up to Chauncey Billups After ‘Being Blindsided’

Getty Jrue Holiday

Jrue Holiday never suited up for the Portland Trail Blazers, but he spent some time with their personnel, like Chauncey Billups, before the Boston Celtics acquired him.

After the Milwaukee Bucks traded Holiday to Portland for Damian Lillard, he and Billups discussed the best next step. Billups revealed their earnest conversation before Portland traded him to Boston to The Athletic’s Jay King.

“I had a conversation — a long, good conversation with him — just about I know it was a little tough spot for him, being traded, kind of being blindsided by that,” Billups told King in a March 12 story. “I’ve been there before. So just being able to rap with him like that because I know him. And it was important for me that a good person like him, who’s been great on every team and every community that he’s lived in, for him to be treated properly and be put in a great position and a great spot.”

Billups himself knows the feeling. He started his NBA career with the Celtics, but they traded him mid-season to the Raptors in his rookie year. Holiday praised Billups for his understanding.

“It meant a lot,” Holiday told King. “Being able to see a coach that has my best interests (in mind). And you could see it, and you could hear it, which a lot of times, maybe some players don’t get a chance to see that from a coach. So he definitely had my best interest (at heart) from the beginning. And he just always looked out for me.”

The Trail Blazers acquired Holiday on September 27, 2023, and the Celtics acquired Holiday on October 1, 2023.

Paul George Singles Out Jrue Holiday’s Defense

Holiday has a reputation as a defender, and he received some recognition for his defense from nine-time All-Star Paul George. George explained why Holiday is the hardest player for him to score on.

“Toughest player to score on? Probably Jrue,” George said. “Jrue got locks. He’s strong as s***. He’s quick, and he loves to play defense. That is the worst trait that you can go up against: somebody that loves to play defense. Those are always the toughest matchups for me offensively when the guys are super shorter than me.”

Jrue has made an NBA All-Defense team in five of the last six years, including three First-Team All-Defense selections.

Cam Thomas Also Praises Jrue Holiday’s Defense

Paul George is not the only one who has praised Holiday for his defense. Brooklyn Nets guard Cam Thomas explained why he, too, believes Holiday is the toughest defender to face.

Haynes asked Thomas who the toughest defender in the NBA is, and Thomas explained why it’s Holiday for him.

“Jrue Holiday, because he’s disciplined,” Thomas told Bleacher Report’s Chris Haynes. “He’s not gonna go for many fakes. You really have to get in your bag and really get angles on him. You gotta play sound basketball against him.”

Though it may not show up on the stat sheet, Holiday’s defense clearly does not go unnoticed by his NBA peers.