Jrue Holiday admits joining Celtics initially felt ‘weird’ because of Lakers

Boston Celtics star Jrue Holiday, who grew up rooting for the storied Los Angeles Lakers organization, admitted that it initially felt a little “weird” to wear green for the Celtics after being traded there.

“I’m from L.A.,” Holiday said. “I grew up a Lakers fan. So putting on the green was a bit weird for me, like on the first day. And then once I kind of got used to the green — we win the championship. … Once I kind of just got acclimated to the city, and the fans — this [championship], it’s crazy. I feel like I keep on saying that, but there’s no word that can describe the feeling when you win that championship.”

Holiday was born in Chatsworth, Calif. and played college basketball at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA).

Last offseason, the Celtics traded Malcolm Brogdon — who was fresh off winning the Sixth Man of the Year award at the time — Robert Williams, a 2024 first-round pick and a 2029 first-round pick to the Portland Trail Blazers in exchange for Holiday.

Holiday was arguably one of Boston’s unsung heroes during the team’s title run in the 2024 NBA Playoffs. He might not have put up the sort of numbers that players like Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum did, but he was an invaluable glue guy for the Celtics.

When accounting for his impact on both ends of the floor along with his availability, Holiday made a case for being the Celtics’ third-best player in the playoffs. He ranked in the top five on the Celtics in points, rebounds, assists and steals per game during Boston’s path to its 18th title in franchise history.

The 34-year-old was particularly impactful during the Eastern Conference Finals and NBA Finals, when the stakes were at their highest. He averaged 18.5 points, 7.3 rebounds and 5.8 assists against the Indiana Pacers and then 14.4 points, 7.4 rebounds and 3.8 assists per game versus the Dallas Mavericks in the championship series.

Holiday now has two NBA titles to his name after winning a championship in his first season in Boston. He won his first championship in 2021, when he played with Giannis Antetokounmpo and Khris Middleton on the Milwaukee Bucks.

If nothing else, Holiday has proven himself to be a winning player, and he might have found a long-term home in Boston. He is under contract through the 2026-27 campaign and has a player option for the season after that.