By Baxter Holmes
Seated on a bench inside the Boston Celtics` practice facility, afternoon sunlight streaming through the championship banners hanging alongside tall glass windows, Jrue Holiday points towards the parquet court nearby, then the weight room, and finally to his head, legs, and feet.
It`s midday on April 19, and the Celtics guard has just finished his workout. Jaylen Brown is still on the court practicing shots, music playing in the background. Outside, traffic moves along the Massachusetts Turnpike towards downtown Boston. As he gestures, Holiday shares his thoughts on his renowned defensive abilities, a hallmark of his NBA career.
As he speaks, his intensity becomes apparent.
“I don`t enjoy being scored on,” he tells ESPN. “It`s that straightforward. To me, being competitive means winning every single possession or task. On offense, I try to win too, but defensively, securing one stop against an individual feels significant. It makes them think, `Wow, he stopped me.`”
“However, getting multiple stops against someone? That can truly disrupt their rhythm. It can break their spirit. It has the power to completely alter the dynamic of the game if that happens. I believe I started understanding this and appreciating how enjoyable it is to try and diminish my opponent`s confidence.”
He smiles.
How enjoyable it is to try and diminish my opponent`s confidence.
“I grew up in a family of athletes where that was their constant aim against me,” he explains. “It`s genuinely all I know. And it was perfectly fine to compete that way. It was fun.”
Holiday`s parents, Toya and Shawn, were both basketball players at Arizona State in the early 1980s. All three of their sons—Jrue, Justin, and Aaron—reached the NBA. Their daughter, Lauren, played college basketball at UCLA. Throughout the siblings` childhoods, defense was the absolute requirement. Good offense might fluctuate, they taught their children, but defensive effort must never waver. It was a way to always make an impact, they said, a path to earning playing time. For years, Shawn taught them specific techniques and principles passed down to him. More importantly, he wanted them to love playing defense, just as he did.
As Holiday talks, a sense of energy fills the city. Thousands have come from around the world for the 129th Boston Marathon. Elite runners warm up on sidewalks and side streets, doing shakeout runs along the Charles River Esplanade, where pink cherry blossoms sway in the spring breeze.
Yet, the day before the world`s most famous race, the Celtics began their own extensive journey towards potentially repeating as champions, a feat not accomplished since Bill Russell, arguably the greatest defender in NBA history, played for the Celtics in the 1960s.
That quest continued Wednesday night in Boston, where the Celtics trailed the New York Knicks 1-0 in a crucial Game 2 of the second-round series. Holiday participated in Game 1, an overtime loss for the Celtics, after missing three consecutive games due to a right hamstring strain. The Celtics were certainly pleased to have him back.
“What Jrue provides for us is top-tier,” commented Celtics center Al Horford. “His influence on our team is immeasurable.”
“His intangible contributions are limitless,” Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla said regarding Holiday`s impact. “His competitive spirit, his selflessness, coupled with his physicality, toughness, and defensive versatility—his ability to guard different positions, pressure the ball, pick up on opponents` habits, and simply make winning plays.”
Now 34, Holiday is in his 16th NBA season, a career marked by two Olympic gold medals, two NBA championships, and numerous defensive accolades.
In three of the last four NBA general manager surveys, Holiday has been voted the league`s premier perimeter defender. He has finished in the top eight for the Defensive Player of the Year award five times, tied for the most by any guard (with Michael Jordan, Gary Payton, and Tony Allen) since the award`s inception in 1982-83. He has earned All-Defensive first or second team honors in six of the past seven years. NBA head coaches describe him as a challenging opponent to strategize against. Several star players, including Kevin Durant and Damian Lillard, have hailed him as either the best defensive guard or the best defender in the league.
In many ways, the roots of Holiday`s defensive expertise can be traced back over half a century and 5,000 miles away, to a man Holiday says he has never watched play but who follows Holiday`s games intently—and still sees echoes of himself all these years later.
A Legacy of Defense
Dwight Holiday gazes out the window of his 11th-floor condominium in a Honolulu skyscraper. Diamond Head volcano is visible from one window, the Pacific Ocean from another. “It`s a fantastic view,” says the 74-year-old, who has resided in Hawaii since the 1970s, a period when the former 6-foot-4 guard starred for the University of Hawaii men`s basketball team.
With Dwight on the team, the Rainbows achieved a 23-5 record in 1970-71 and 24-3 the following season, making their first-ever appearance in the NCAA tournament. The team was known as the “Fabulous Five,” predating Michigan`s famous teams of the 1990s.
“I was our top defensive player,” Dwight recalls proudly. “I was tasked with guarding every opponent`s leading scorer.”
Dwight is Holiday`s uncle, and even today, he can effortlessly list the names of players he competed against.
Florida State`s Ron King, a shooting guard who led his team to the national championship game and later played in the American Basketball Association? “I shut him down,” Dwight states.
Oregon State`s Eddie Boyd, a combo guard selected fifth overall in the 1972 NBA draft? “I shut him down.”
Pepperdine`s Bird Averitt, a shooting guard and the 1975 NCAA scoring champion? “I contained him,” Dwight says, “but I didn`t completely shut him down.”
Dwight was the second of nine siblings, and by eighth grade, he began playing basketball, becoming the first in his family to focus on sports.
“This all began with me,” he asserts. In 10th grade, a coach named Len Wilkins entered his life.
Wilkins had learned basketball by observing Pete Newell`s formidable California Golden Bears teams in the 1950s, which reached two NCAA title games and won in 1959. Wilkins noticed how Newell`s teams consistently employed aggressive defense, pressing opponents, pressuring the ball handler, and fronting the post. Wilkins aimed to incorporate these elements into the high school teams he coached.
He instructed Dwight on maintaining a low defensive stance and moving his feet effectively.
“Observe the player`s body, not their face,” Wilkins advised him. “Follow wherever that torso moves.”
Dwight excelled.
“He was a significant athlete—quick, with good basketball intelligence, and coachable; he listened and asked questions,” said Wilkins, now 91 and retired in Montana after nearly 50 years coaching high school and college basketball.
The year Dwight graduated from Hawaii, he brought his brother Shawn, 13 years his junior, to the islands. They played basketball daily, and Dwight passed down the defensive principles he had learned from Wilkins.
After college, Shawn and Toya started their family, first Justin in April 1989, followed by Jrue on June 12, 1990. Jrue first handled a basketball at age 2. He and his siblings spent their childhoods in gyms, and when it came to teaching the game, Shawn was eager to pass down the family legacy.
Upbringing and NBA Prowess
“I distinctly recall one practice,” Aaron Holiday, now a guard for the Houston Rockets, tells ESPN. Aaron was on the court after practice at Taft High School in Los Angeles, and Shawn was teaching him proper defensive footwork—”how to prevent your feet from colliding while sliding, how to keep them separated, just the fundamental technique of guarding.”
Toya and Shawn would tell their children that if they desired the ball, they should take it. Steal a pass. Grab a defensive rebound. Create an opportunity. “Everyone is capable of playing offense,” Toya stated. “I genuinely believe that.”
However, defense was presented as a conscious decision. They might have an off shooting night, but defensive effort should never diminish. “And you know what?” Toya would add. “It`s far more exciting to get a steal and then sprint down the court for a slam dunk.”
Holiday wasn`t particularly vocal growing up, his parents noted, but they recognized the competitive fire within him. “Annoy him,” Toya would say. “You`ll see.”
Growing up, there were intense one-on-one battles in the driveway against his talented siblings at their home in Rancho Cucamonga, California, about an hour from Los Angeles.
By high school, Holiday had established himself as one of the nation`s top two-way players, a point guard capable of scoring effortlessly while guarding every position on the other end.
“His ability to continue defending, cutting off opponents, and avoiding fouls is truly incredible,” Aaron commented.
He led his team to three California state championships. As a senior, he averaged 25.3 points, 12 rebounds, 6.8 assists, 4.6 steals, and 2.4 blocks, earning the 2008 Gatorade Player of the Year award.
“People emphasize two-way players significantly these days,” he remarked. “It should feel quite natural to want to contribute on both ends.”
At UCLA, Holiday started every game as a freshman for a team that finished 26-9 and reached the NCAA tournament`s second round. He also met his future wife, Lauren Cheney, who would become one of the most decorated American soccer players ever, a two-time Olympic gold medalist and FIFA Women`s World Cup champion. She played basketball through high school, understood the game, and held similar philosophies about competition in soccer.
“Jrue`s greatest strength is his selflessness,” she told ESPN. “And I think that`s what defense is fundamentally about—the readiness to undertake challenging tasks to facilitate things for those around you. It`s a deliberate choice to put in that much effort. It`s a decision to think, `I`m not going to allow this person to beat me, or if they do, they`re going to have to exert immense effort.` That mirrors who he is in every aspect of his life.”
In 2009, after one season at UCLA, Holiday was drafted 17th overall by the Philadelphia 76ers. Playing on a roster with many veterans, he discovered that defense was a reliable way to earn minutes, just as his parents had emphasized. He mentioned that one of the first times he received significant playing time was because he was applying full-court pressure on opponents.
His approach was simple, he said. “I aim to lock you down defensively, and then I want to score on you offensively. Whoever I`m matched up against, I want them to have a profoundly difficult night on both ends of the court.”
He quickly recognized that playing defense exceptionally well could distinguish him from others.
Holiday diligently studied game film, searching for subtle habits and tendencies of his opponents. He committed himself to the weight room. And in the offseason, and for as long as he can recall, he engaged in lengthy defensive drills where he would have to stop offensive players in a one-on-one half-court setting, one after another.
“I believe that`s the optimal way to condition yourself,” he said. “So by the third person, you`re exhausted, yet you still have two more opponents to face—and the guys I train against are not easy competition.”
The accolades followed. By his third season, he became the youngest player in 76ers history named an All-Star. In 2018, he earned the first of his six All-Defense honors. In August 2020, then-Portland star guard Damian Lillard stated on a podcast, “To me, he`s the top defender in the league. Among guards, I think he`s the absolute best defender.”
Upon joining the Milwaukee Bucks in 2020, Holiday began working with Charles Lee, a member of the Bucks` coaching staff. Lee watched with admiration as Holiday consistently utilized a combination of his quick hands, rapid footwork, and physical strength to make impactful defensive plays, often at crucial moments.
“I was truly impressed by his dedication as a student of the game,” Lee told ESPN. “He had already contributed significantly to winning, and when he arrived in Milwaukee, he remained genuinely curious about how he could continue developing.”
In certain situations, Lee noted, “You`re attempting to drive, and he starts trying to pull the chair from beneath you while simultaneously using his offhand to swipe at the ball.”
He witnessed Holiday execute this tactic so frequently during the Bucks` 2021 NBA championship run that it earned a unique name among the coaching staff.
“We started calling it `The Holiday,`” Lee said.
When Brad Stevens became the Celtics` coach in the summer of 2013, Holiday was still in Philadelphia, having just made his first All-Star appearance the previous season. Stevens, now the Celtics` general manager, clearly remembers the challenge of preparing a game plan against Holiday.
“You simply avoided him,” Stevens told ESPN.
“You tried to position players in ways where he wouldn`t significantly affect the play, particularly late in games. But that`s considerably easier said than done because he`s going to be guarding your primary offensive threats.”
Hearing this comment, Holiday smiled. “That`s precisely what I enjoy. I relish knowing that.”
For years, Stevens said, he would inquire with then-Celtics president of basketball operations Danny Ainge about the possibility of acquiring Holiday.
Each time, the response was the same. “I would love to,” Ainge would reply. “Regrettably, the team he currently plays for also values him highly.”
In the fall of 2023, Stevens made the aspiration a reality, acquiring Holiday from Portland, where he had been traded as part of the deal that sent Lillard to Milwaukee.
Just days later, Stevens observed from above the practice court as one of the Celtics` coaching staff, Phil Pressey, a former NBA guard, faced Holiday in a defensive drill on the right wing.
“I saw Holiday engage him and push him back five feet; Pressey seemed unable to function effectively,” Stevens recounted. “And I thought, `Well, there it is, we have a real chance.`”
In his debut season with the Celtics, the seasoned guard proved Stevens` assessment prophetic. In the first round, when Holiday guarded Miami`s Tyler Herro, he limited him to 33% shooting overall and 25% from three-point range. In the Eastern Conference semifinals, Cleveland`s Darius Garland shot merely 7-of-22 from the field and 1-of-7 from deep when defended by Holiday. In the Eastern Conference finals, Holiday held Tyrese Haliburton to 3-of-10 shooting (1-of-7 from deep). And in the NBA Finals, matched against Kyrie Irving, he allowed the Dallas star just a single made three-pointer.
The Celtics smoothly advanced to claim their 18th NBA title, marking Holiday`s second championship.
“I don`t believe any player at any position would prefer being guarded by Jrue Holiday,” Stevens stated. “And then, ask coaches who they least want their players attacking in an isolation situation late in the shot clock. You`ll get the same answer.”
The Impact in Action
The day following his explanation of his defensive approach at the Celtics` training facility, Holiday demonstrated his philosophy in practice—a timely display in Game 1 of his team`s first-round playoff series against the Orlando Magic. The demonstration began about two minutes into the third quarter inside a tense TD Garden in Boston, with the seventh-seeded Magic holding a one-point lead at halftime.
At the top of the key, Holiday was matched up against the 6-10 Magic forward Franz Wagner.
Halfway across the world, Dwight watched as Magic big man Wendell Carter Jr. stepped forward to screen for Wagner, but Holiday remained glued to Wagner like a magnet. Carter quickly abandoned his screen attempt. Then, Wagner attempted to drive right, but Holiday stayed tightly attached to his hip. Clearly frustrated, Wagner then veered into the lane and launched an off-target layup attempt that hit the top of the backboard. Holiday tipped the loose ball to Brown, who secured the rebound and passed back to Holiday.
On the offensive end, Holiday coolly sank a step-back three-pointer, scoring his first points of the game.
On the subsequent possession, Holiday guarded Orlando`s Paolo Banchero, another quick 6-10 forward. Again, Holiday seamlessly fused himself to Banchero, denying a screen attempt by Carter. Similar to Wagner on the previous play, Banchero drove right and, like Wagner, missed his layup. Holiday tipped the ball to Celtics guard Derrick White, who scored a layup on the other end, capping off a 7-0 Celtics run.
Later, with 7:32 remaining in the fourth quarter, Wagner once again brought the ball up the court. Holiday moved towards him, his hands actively disrupting. Wagner stumbled, dribbling the ball off the back of his foot. Holiday snatched the loose ball, dribbled up the court, and drilled a transition three-pointer, extending the Celtics` lead to ten points.
As he retreated down the court, Holiday let out a powerful scream, igniting the Garden crowd`s excitement and appreciation. In the third quarter alone, Holiday scored nine points, added four assists and two steals, as the Celtics seized control of the game, outscoring the Magic 30-18 en route to a double-digit victory.
“He disrupts everything you try to execute offensively,” remarked Magic coach Jamahl Mosley.
As the primary defender, Holiday held the Magic to just 2-for-11 on field goal attempts and forced five turnovers. He limited the Magic`s top two scorers, Banchero and Wagner, to a combined 1-for-9 shooting when matched up against them. Holiday guarded Banchero 23 times, more than any other Celtic. In those 23 matchups, Banchero managed only four points on six shots.
“His sole focus is on winning,” Stevens commented. “Here is a player with two Olympic gold medals, two NBA championships, multiple All-Defensive team selections, and he joins us and simply says, `Hey, I`m part of a really strong basketball team. How can I contribute?` There are very few players with his level of accomplishment and ability to carry a team who would be so willing to embrace that role.”
Throughout the game, Dwight observed Holiday maintaining a low center of gravity, fighting through screens, and forcing offensive players precisely where he wanted them to go.
“I see aspects of Holiday`s game that I taught Shawn,” Dwight noted.
Holiday has never seen footage of his uncle play, and although they exchange texts, they don`t frequently discuss their similar playing styles.
Perhaps above all, Holiday hopes that his style of play—the way he was taught—will endure.
“Hopefully, I can inspire more players to prioritize the defensive end,” he said, “because I truly believe there`s a demand for it. You can have a long and valuable career in the league simply by being a strong defensive player, precisely because so many people don`t focus on it.”
