Team USA's talented roster might be the most accomplished group of basketball players ever assembled. And while Boston Celtics guard Jrue Holiday isn't considered the best member of that star-studded squad, he achieved something during the 2024 Summer Olympics that none of his teammates have.
After beating France 98-87 on Saturday, Holiday earned his second gold medal in his 15-year professional career. This marks the second time the Los Angeles native has won a gold medal and an NBA championship in the same summer.
In 2021, Holiday helped the Milwaukee Bucks end their 50-year title drought before collecting gold in the Tokyo Olympics a month later. In 2024, the two-time All-Star won it all with the Celtics and then took his talents to Paris for another gold medal.
This example of NBA and Olympic greatness has only been mirrored by Scottie Pippen, per ESPN Stats & Info. The seven-time All-Star won his rings with the Chicago Bulls and his medals with the 1992 Olympic “Dream Team” and the 1996 “Dream Team III.”
Although many NBA players have multiple gold medals and championships, no one else but Holiday and Pippen share this rare feat.
Holiday, who turned 34 in June, wasn't just along for the ride either. He started in multiple games for Team USA and contributed on both ends of the floor. In his five outings in Paris, he averaged 7.6 points, 3.6 assists, and 1.8 rebounds. His 18 total assists were the third most on the roster, even though he missed the third game of group play versus Puerto Rico due to an ankle injury.
The UCLA product also shot an incredible 55.6% from the field and 50% from 3-point range throughout the Summer Games. He wasn't a 2024 All-Star like most of his Olympic teammates, yet he consistently delivered solid minutes and played like a veteran who's comfortable on the big stage.
Does Holiday's second gold medal make him a Hall of Famer?
Following Paris, Holiday has bolstered an already impressive resume. And since the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame accounts for all levels of hoops, whether it's local or global, the two-way guard's case for induction is looking strong.
He now has two gold medals, two NBA titles, two All-Star nods and three All-Defensive First Team selections. What's more, Holiday's career is ongoing and probably not ending until 2028, when his four-year, $135 million contract expires.
On the Celtics, the two-time Olympian will have a shot at another ring. The C's brought back their entire starting five and most of their key pieces off the bench, giving them an opportunity to be the first repeat champions since the Golden State Warriors in 2018.
Holiday's Olympic career could be over by the time his hometown hosts the next Summer Olympics in 2028. However, perhaps the proximity of the international competition will draw him back for one last ride.
As for his teammates, Jayson Tatum and Derrick White presumably won't be as close to the end of their playing days then. Like Holiday, Tatum owns two gold medals from Tokyo and Paris. The five-time All-Star became just the third player ever to make the All-NBA First Team, secure an NBA championship, and win a gold medal all in the same year. The two others who pulled that off, Michael Jordan and LeBron James, demonstrate just how stellar of a summer it's been for Tatum.
Meanwhile, White earned his first gold medal in his inaugural stint with Team USA. The Colorado native received zero scholarship offers out of high school and started off playing Division II hoops in college. Now, he's an Olympic and NBA champion with one of the greatest underdog stories in basketball.
Holiday, Tatum, and White will finally have some downtime with the Olympics wrapping up. But, in late October, the 2024-25 NBA regular season will begin, and so will Boston's quest for back-to-back championships.
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