The NBA business can be unforgiving, often requiring you to uproot your life without much warning.
For Jrue Holiday, the transition to wearing a Celtics uniform might not be immediate for his family and friends. This is because Holiday is a native of Los Angeles, the home of Boston’s fiercest NBA rival, the Lakers. The two-time All-Star, who also played college basketball at UCLA, spent the formative 18 years of his life surrounded by Lakers enthusiasts. Now, he finds himself on the other side of the most iconic rivalry in basketball.
While Holiday himself seems excited about his new role in Boston and appreciates the passionate Celtics fanbase, he recognizes that his recent high-profile trade may have stirred mixed feelings among his loved ones.
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“The fans are literally insane, and I’m proud to be a part of that,” Holiday told reporters Wednesday, per ESPN. “I know a lot of my family’s probably hurt, but I know this is a blue-collar town. They love people that work hard and they put their heart into it. And that’s just the type of person that I am, is every time I step on to the court, I give them everything.”
Switching to a more somber tone, the Holiday family felt genuinely hurt by the way the Bucks managed the Damian Lillard trade last week. Lauren Holiday, Jamal’s wife, shared her emotional thoughts on the transition through a detailed statement. In her statement, she disclosed that Milwaukee had provided no advance notice to the 33-year-old guard regarding the possibility of a trade.
Despite the initial shock and disappointment, the Holidays are looking forward to embarking on this new chapter in Boston.
