It's been a busy summer for veteran point guard Jrue Holiday but not every achievement is weighed the same. According to Jrue, winning the NBA championship was more rewarding and fulfilling than helping Team USA win the gold this summer.
"The medal in Paris was cool. It was against France so it was literally like us against the world," said Holiday. "But winning here was amazing. I’m not sure anything tops that. Winning here in Boston. The crowd, the shot Payton hit. It was all just so overwhelming.”
Jrue, a 2x All-Star, was one of the first players selected to join Team USA this summer. Jrue, along with LeBron James , Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant , Anthony Edwards, Joel Embiid, Anthony Davis, and Jayson Tatum, formed a powerful lineup for the United States which went undefeated through the entire tournament.
After winning the gold, Holiday and his Olympic teammates celebrated for days and joined their American comrades in the festivities as they took pride in their performance on the world stage.
For many former Olympians, like Carmelo Anthony , winning a gold medal is the highest honor an athlete can achieve. Unlike the NBA playoffs, the Olympics include teams from all around the world and there is no higher form of competition. But with the NBA championship still fresh on his mind , Jrue Holiday prefers the feeling of winning the Larry O'Brien trophy.
The 34-year-old guard had already won a championship with the Bucks before he was traded to the Celtics in 2023. With averages of 12.5 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 4.8 assists per game, Holiday lived up to expectations after the trade and was instrumental in helping the Celtics capture their first championship since 2008.
In the aftermath of the enormous achievement, Jrue and his teammates were celebrated as heroes in Boston and went on a victory parade in front of the entire city. And for a franchise with such a rich history of success, the fans knew just how to react.
While Jrue was not among the two leaders of his team, his role as starting point guard made him invaluable to the organization and we can confidently say that his arrival last summer put them over the top.
It's rare for players to win a championship and a gold medal in the same summer, but Holiday, Jayson Tatum, and Derrick White managed to pull it off and make it look easy in the process. Now, the only question left to ask is if they can do it again.
With the same roster returning for next season, including a healthy Kristaps Porzingis, there's no reason to think that the C's can't make another run and defend their title. If they stay healthy and learn from their past mistakes, they might even outperform the 2023-24 campaign.
As for the 2028 Olympics, only time will tell if Holiday will get an invitation. At 34 years old, he's near the end of his career and he may be aged out by the time Team USA picks their next roster. As a 2x gold medalist already, Jrue has nothing to prove either way but he may still have another Olympic run in him before the end of his career.
Related: Jrue Holiday Names His 3 Hardest NBA Players To Defend
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