The NBA has had its share of superstars and super teams win NBA titles. Fans have also seen teams draft, trade and acquire players in a quest to build championship teams.
But it starts with having an iconic superstar.
Whether it’s Bill Russell, Michael Jordan, LeBron James, Magic Johnson, Larry Bird, or Kobe Bryant, an NBA legend is a necessity (the primary exception being the 2003-04 Detroit Pistons, which had great players but no true legend).
Yet a superstar can’t win by himself, which is why having either another superstar or an All-Star and a great supporting cast is the second most important element in creating a championship team. We all know that MJ needed Pippen and Grant to win a title in Chicago.
And while the three-superstar craze ruled for a short while, it’s no longer effective.
Enter Jrue Holiday, a consistent player with a career highlighted by defense and reliability.
He’s not flashy or has “handles like Van Exel.” But what he lacks in flash, he more than makes up for with championship mettle and an ability to make plays when called upon.
He’s similar to Robert “Big Shot Bob” Horry in that when it’s time for a big shot in the biggest games, he’s a treat. Yet Holiday plays a much bigger role than Horry did, which makes him an even more valuable player when it’s time to win a title.
Originally drafted by the Sixers with the 17th pick in the 2008 NBA Draft, Jrue played four seasons in Philly, making the All-Star team in the 2012-13 season when he averaged 17.7 ppg and 8 apg. He then moved on to the New Orleans Pelicans where in seven seasons he upped his scoring average from 13.4 ppg with Philly to 17.6 ppg and made the All-Defensive team twice.
In the 2020-21 season, he was traded to the Milwaukee Bucks where he won a championship in his first year with the team. That season he averaged 17.7 ppg, 4.5 rpg and 6.1 apg. In the postseason, his totals went to 17.3, 5.7 and 8.7, respectively. He was the team leader in assists during the postseason and he helped Giannis win his first NBA title by becoming the team’s floor general and its second most important player behind the Greek Freak.
Jrue played in Milwaukee for two more seasons, making the All-Defensive team in all three seasons. He also made his second career All-Star team last season before being traded to the Celtics as part of a multi-team trade that sent Damian Lillard to the Bucks.
Unfortunately for Bucks fans, Lillard and Giannis never meshed and the team moved on from head coach Mike Budenholzer to Adrian Griffin, who they fired after going 30-13 in favor of Doc Rivers, who went 17-19.
Meanwhile, the Boston Celtics are two wins away from winning their 18th title, which would break the championship title tie with the Lakers.
And Holiday, despite having his stats dip while playing with All-Stars Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, is back in the Finals and helping the team win through unselfish play and timely plays. In Game 1, he scored 12 points while grabbing 8 rebounds and dishing out 5 assists. But when Boston needed to close out Dallas in the waning minutes, he came up with a key steal. In Game 2 on Sunday night, Holiday led the team with 26 points and 11 rebounds, fueling Boston’s 105-98 win.
