The Boston Celtics are an intimidating team for a multitude of reasons. On the court, they have been one of the most consistent elite teams in the league for the last decade or so. Off the court, though, Boston fans are one of the most passionate fans in the sport. They can get a bit rowdy, and they're known to hold a bit of a grudge. Also, come playoff time, TD Garden is one of the worst places to play as an away team.
So when Jrue Holiday learned that he will be traded to the Celtics this offseason, the All-Star guard was a bit concerned. Speaking before the team's championship parade, Holiday admitted he was a bit intimidated by the fans. His history with Boston is not exactly a positive memory for fans, so there's that. (per NBC Sports Boston)
“I was a bit nervous. There was a couple things that I think I did to the Celtics at the time that they probably didn't like, but again, once I knew that I got that call, just overjoyed and excited and knew that we had something special.”
Ultimately, though, Holiday admitted that he was more than glad that he ended up with the Celtics.
“You know, it can be a little bit intimidating. Fans can really get crazy, really start to fight you and all that, but I'm glad I'm on this side now.”
Holiday's “beef” with the Celtics came during his time as a Milwaukee Buck. In fact, one of the teams that the 2021 Bucks team beat on the way to the Finals is Boston. Jrue has been responsible for tormenting Boston all season long, so there was undoubtedly some concern that it might carry over.
Jrue Holiday's impactful Finals run
Once Holiday ended up on the Celtics, though, the fans that previously “hated” him changed their tune. Why wouldn't they? From Day 1 until Game 5 of the Finals, Jrue proved why he was such an important piece to Milwaukee's championship. His lockdown defense was even better than Marcus Smart, allowing their top wings to rest a little easier on that end.
Of course, when the time came for Jrue to score, he did so as well. Jrue also took over ball-handling duties at times for the Celtics. He was the team's ultimate Swiss knife. You name it, Holiday could do it. His efforts contributed to Boston grabbing the first seed in the Eastern Conference by a wide margin.
In the Finals, Holiday put on a masterclass. His lockdown defense on Kyrie Irving completely neutralized the Dallas Mavericks star, putting more pressure on Luka Doncic indirectly. In more than a few points of the series, Holiday would go on a massive shooting streak to let the Celtics pull away. He was definitely in the running for Finals MVP at one point in the series.
The Celtics now hold the Larry O'Brien thanks to quite literally a great team effort. Holiday, Jaylen Brown, and Jayson Tatum were the stars, but everyone (and literally everyone!) contributed in a major way. From Porzingis to Horford, from White to Pritchard, everyone had their moments.
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