Last summer, when the Milwaukee Bucks traded for Damian Lillard, they did not anticipate Jrue Holiday ending up on the Boston Celtics. Fewer than nine months later, the Celtics have added an 18th championship banner to their all-time NBA ledger, thanks in large part to Holiday's transformative impact on the team.
### Transforming the Celtics
Holiday made the Celtics an entirely different team in ways both tangible and intangible. Thriving in a role where he did not have to be a primary scorer or creator, he filled in all the right gaps and elevated Boston's defense to a suffocating level. Brad Stevens' tenure with the Celtics has been marked by some incredible trades, and many argue that acquiring Holiday surpassed even his best moves, such as landing Kristaps Porzingis and Derrick White.
### Defensive Masterclass
Holiday's defensive prowess was particularly highlighted during the series against the Dallas Mavericks. He was Boston's most valuable player in that series, showcasing his capability to shut down any opponent. Until Jayson Tatum put up a line of 31-11-8-2 in the clincher, Holiday's Game 2 performance was the standout single-game showing in the series. You would have to go back to Michael Jordan in 1998 to find another player who scored at least 38 points with zero turnovers through the first two games of a Finals, as Holiday did against Dallas.
The Mavericks' chances dwindled as Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving found themselves unable to generate consistent offensive leverage. Although Jaylen Brown was impressive, it was Holiday who had Doncic and Irving in virtual shackles whenever he was on the floor. His consistency throughout the series was remarkable and demoralized opponents to the point where they hesitated to even want the ball in their hands.
### A Universal Asset
Holiday's impact is such that if he were placed on the Knicks, the Sixers, the Clippers, or the Lakers, and if those teams weren't winning a title, they would be right in the mix. He is the only player in the league to win two championships over the last four years, having played a crucial role in leading the Bucks to the 2021 championship against the Suns, where he rendered Chris Paul ineffective.
### League-Wide Acclaim
Jalen Brunson recently called Holiday the best defender in the league, and such accolades are well-deserved. Holiday's lateral movement, flexibility, strength, and anticipation are otherworldly, making him a nightmare for opponents. However, his contributions extend beyond defense. He consistently makes smart plays with the ball and cuts to the right spot, while his ball-hawk instincts help secure long offensive rebounds.
Holiday wrapped up the playoffs with impressive 50-40-95 shooting splits, and in the Finals, he averaged just under 15 points, 8 rebounds, and 4 assists on 53/42/100 shooting splits. He scored the first six points for the Celtics in the series-clinching game, feasting in the dunker's spot as Tatum drew the defense's attention.
### Financial Rewards and Future Legacy
Doncic and Irving were all too happy to fall asleep as Holiday slipped in behind them, and his efforts earned him a little more cash with the $1.2 million bonus worked into his contract for winning the championship. He checked off every incentive bonus available to him, totaling an extra $2.8 million, in what has truly been a dream season.
In less than a year, Holiday went from discovering he had been traded from the Bucks upon waking from a nap to winning the second championship of what is becoming a Hall of Fame career. His impact on the Celtics has been immeasurable, proving that in the world of professional sports, sometimes a single player can indeed make all the difference.
### In the Words of Analysts
"I'm sure it happened at some point, but I can't recall Holiday getting truly beat one time in this series," stated an NBA analyst. "Against Doncic and Irving? That is an insane thing to say."
Brunson said, "Holiday [is] the best defender in the league."