In September 2016, the world of the Holidays was turned upside down when Jrue's wife, Lauren, was diagnosed with a brain tumor while pregnant. As she began her recovery, her husband took a leave of absence to support her.
This decision meant that the point guard's season debut with the Pelicans was delayed until 12 games into the campaign. However, following that time off, 'JHolla' quickly returned to his best, making a stellar comeback against the Blazers.
"There are some new faces around here, but at the same time, it's the same system. The part I was really worried about was conditioning. I thought I was behind. Maybe I was just excited for this game. I felt like I could play forever," Holiday remarked, per ESPN.
A night to remember
For Jrue , stepping back onto the court likely felt like his life was coming full circle. His wife was recovering well after successful surgery and the birth of their child. With everything at home finally settled, the two-time NBA All-Star could focus on returning to his job—and what a return it proved to be!
As 'JHolla' stepped onto the court, the crowd's chant of his name echoed throughout the arena. He quickly showed gratitude for that warm welcome by dishing out his first assists. Shortly after came Holiday's first points of the 2016-2017 campaign, and just a few minutes later, the 6'4" guard had tallied five points, a rebound, an assist, and a block.
Ultimately, he finished with 21 points and seven assists in just 23 minutes, playing a key role in the team's 113-101 win over the Trail Blazers. The performance of the L.A. native earned praise from then-Pels teammate Anthony Davis, who himself had scored 38 points and was clearly excited to have Jrue back.
"He comes in, makes great reads, makes plays for himself or others—and he does it on the defensive end," AD said. "In my eyes, he's one of the top point guards in the league, and it showed."
Related: "I am more disappointed today than I was back when I was not selected" -Isiah Thomas on handshake snub as the reason he didn't make the Dream Team
Jrue and Lauren are both high flyers
The Holiday couple stands out as one of the most successful sports pairs. Husband Jrue is having an outstanding 2024. After winning the championship title with the Boston Celtics in June, he recently also secured an Olympic gold medal in Paris. The same double achievement the lockdown defender was able to accomplish in 2021 while playing for the Bucks. Notably, only former Bulls legend Scottie Pippen has achieved this feat twice in his basketball career.
However, Lauren, Jrue's wife and a former soccer midfielder and striker, is no stranger to titles herself. After playing for the UCLA Bruins in college—the same school Jrue attended—she had a successful career with the Pali Blues, Boston Breakers, and Kansas City. From 2007 to 2015, Lauren represented the United States women's national soccer team, earning two Olympic gold medals during her tenure.
Married since July 2013, the couple are now proud parents of two children: daughter Jrue Tyler Holiday, who was born shortly after Lauren's tumor was successfully removed, and son Hendrix, who arrived in 2020.
Related: Trey Murphy III on how good Jrue Holiday is on defense: "Do I really want to try to iso him or am I just gonna shoot this from 30 feet?"
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