In 2021, already, Jrue Holiday had joined the American team just after winning the NBA title with the Bucks. That resulted in a gold medal in Tokyo. A double he wants to repeat, especially since his Celtics teammates Jayson Tatum and Derrick White will also be there.
During the last preparation matches, Jrue Holiday played alongside Stephen Curry in Team USA's starting five. In a role as the first outside defender which helps balance the whole.
“I’m a utility guy, I do a bit of everything.”, assures Jrue Holiday. “Whether it’s defense, putting pressure all over the court, just following the guards, or whether it’s getting open shots, getting offensive rebounds, defensive rebounds. Just a little bit of everything.”
Voted three times Teammate of the Year
In Tokyo, he was invaluable, particularly in the final, where his physical impact greatly disrupted the Blues.
Along with his versatility, his reading of the game and his ability to do all the little things that help win, Jrue Holiday is also an outstanding teammate. Whether it's on the court, through his ability to make others shine, or for his relationships with those around him, as evidenced by his three “Twyman-Stokes Teammate of the Year Awards.”
“When you care about the person next to you, you want to do the right things for them.”explains Jrue Holiday. “Whether it’s diving on the floor, making the extra pass or going after the offensive rebound, you want to do it a little bit more when the person next to you is supporting you as well.”
At the Paris Olympics, Jrue Holiday will be reunited with his Celtics teammates, as well as Kevin Durant, Devin Booker and Bam Adebayo, already present in Tokyo, and Anthony Davis, who he played alongside at the Pelicans.
He will also find a different kind of basketball from the NBA, whose rules he really likes.
“I’ve been approaching basketball the same way for a long time now, being able to be as aggressive as possible on both ends of the court. I didn’t realize that maybe the FIBA rules fit my role a little bit better, being able to be aggressive on both ends, but especially on the defensive end.”
