Jrue Holiday clarifies the response to Jason Kidd’s Jaylen Brown comments, originally appearing on NBC Sports Boston
BOSTON – Before answering questions from the media after the Boston Celtics’ Game 2 win over the Dallas Mavericks, Jrue Holiday had a statement to make.
The veteran guard wanted to clarify a comment he made in response to Mavs coach Jason Kidd calling Jaylen Brown the Celtics’ “best player” over Jayson Tatum. Asked about Kidd’s bold claim, Holiday replied: “I don’t think he’s lying.” That video made the rounds on social media as if it suggested Holiday agreed with Kidd’s assessment.
On stage, an impassioned Holiday set the record straight.
“If I could say something before we intervene, I would like to address the comment that was made yesterday,” he said. “I feel like people took that out of context. I heard that I prefer JB over JT and that’s not what that was. I like to praise my teammates. I like to praise my teammates when they play well.” , and I feel like I did my best for that.
“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, but also that they’re 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 the way they play together and how they work together is something that’s sacred and something that can’t be broken.
“So just to address yesterday’s comment, I don’t prefer one or the other. I prefer both. They’re both superstars and it’s being showcased here on the biggest stage in the world.”
The Celtics won Sunday’s showdown 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 did dish out 12 assists in the game, including eight in the first half, tying a playoff career-high and tying the Mavs team total through the first two frames. He was one rebound away from a triple-double.
Holiday was one of the Cs who benefited most from Tatum’s timely playmaking. The 33-year-old scored a team-high 26 points on 11-of-14 shooting. Most of his damage was done in the paint, with Tatum connecting on the assist.
During his on-court postgame interview with ESPN, Holiday credited Tatum with fueling his big offensive night.
“I think I just got the opportunity,” Holiday said. “I would say a lot of it was JT. JT attacked the basket, they double-teamed him, and he made the right play. … The way he played tonight, the way he led us, in the paint and making plays, finding me wide open, it was all about him.”
It was another phenomenal two-way performance for the perennial All-Defensive selection. Alongside the other half of “The Stock Exchange” Derrick White, Holiday helped limit Mavericks co-star Kyrie Irving to 7-for-18 shooting, allowing the ex-Celtic to go a brutal 10-for-39 in the first two games of the series. .
If Kidd’s comment was an attempt to disrupt Boston’s chemistry, it didn’t work.
“Jrue is a great teammate, nothing less than that,” Brown said after the win. “He’s brought the championship pedigree to our team. So nothing says Jrue that we’re doubting. Jrue, he comes in and he’s just who he is. He’s got that demeanor, that killer mentality, and we respect it, you understand what I mean He’s a great teammate and it’s just an honor to play alongside him.”
Holiday’s big night gave the C’s a commanding 2-0 series lead as the finals shifted to Dallas for Games 3 and 4. Game 3 tip-off is scheduled for Wednesday at 8:30 PM ET .
Watch the full post-holiday press conference below or on YouTube:
