Jrue Holiday Clarifies Response to Jason Kidd’s Jaylen Brown Comment originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston
BOSTON — Before taking media questions after the Boston Celtics’ Game 2 victory over the Dallas Mavericks, Jrue Holiday had a statement to make.
The veteran point guard wanted to clarify a comment he made in response to Mavs coach Jason Kidd calling Jaylen Brown the Celtics’ “best player” about Jayson Tatum. When asked about Kidd’s bold claim, vacation answered“I don’t think he’s lying.” That clip circulated on social media as if to suggest Holiday agreed with Kidd’s assessment.
On the podium, a passionate Holiday made things clear.
“If I could say anything before we get into it, I would like to address the comment that was made yesterday,” he said. “I feel like people took that out of context. I’ve heard that I prefer JB over JT and that’s not what it was. I like to praise my teammates when they’re playing well. and I feel like that’s what I did the best I could.
“When I got here, JT was the first person to text me. And they both know how I feel about them, how I feel about them as players. But comparing them is something I would never do because they are two completely different players as well. being on the same team, and the things they’ve done in this organization and the things they’ve done against me as an opponent, I feel like how they play together and how they work together is something that’s sacred and something that can’t be broken.
“So, to address yesterday’s comment, I don’t prefer one or the other. I prefer both. They’re both superstars and it’s showing here on the biggest stage in the world.”
Celts won Sunday’s matchup 105-98 despite another lackluster shooting performance from Tatum, who finished with 18 points on 6-of-22 shooting. However, the five-time All-Star dished out a game-high 12 assists, including eight in the first half, tying a career-high in the playoffs and matching the Mavs’ team total in the first two frames. He was one rebound away from achieving a triple-double.
Holiday was among the C’s who benefited most from Tatum’s timely play. The 33-year-old scored a team-high 26 points on 11-of-14 shooting. Most of his damage came in the paint when Tatum connected on the assist.
During his postgame on-court interview with ESPN, Holiday credited Tatum for fueling his big offensive night.
“I think I just got the opportunity,” Holiday said. “I would say a lot of it was JT. JT was attacking the basket, they were double-teaming him and he was making the right play… The way he played tonight, the way he directed us, getting into the paint and making plays, finding myself wide open, it was all about him.
It was another phenomenal two-way performance for the perennial All-Defensive selection. Along with the other half of “The stock market” Derrick White, Holiday helped limit Mavericks co-star Kyrie Irving to 7-for-18 shooting, making the former Celtic a brutal 10-for-39 in the first two games of the series.
If Kidd’s comment was an attempt to upset Boston’s chemistry, it didn’t work.
“Jrue is a great teammate, nothing less,” Brown said after the win. “He’s brought championship pedigree to our team. So we don’t question anything Jrue says. Jrue, he comes in and he just is who he is. He’s got that demeanor, that killer mentality, and we respect him, you know what I mean “. “He’s a great teammate and it’s an honor to play alongside him.”
Holiday’s big night helped give the C’s a 2-0 series lead as the Finals move to Dallas for Games 3 and 4. Game 3 is scheduled to tip off Wednesday at 8:30 p.m. ET.
Watch the full post-Christmas game press conference below: or on YouTube:
