“Look way better in a jersey”: Jrue Holiday tries his best to get JJ Redick out of retirement ahead of Nets clash
Former teammates Jrue Holiday and JJ Redick shared a light moment ahead of the Boston Celtics’ NBA In-Season Tournament game against the Brooklyn Nets on Friday, with the Celtics guard playfully trying to lure the now-basketball analyst out of retirement.
Holiday teased the former NBA sharp-shooter of looking good with his suit and tie but asserted that he would rather see him with his jersey on and playing:
"You look good in a suit but you look way better in a jersey," the new Celtics guard said to Redick.
Jrue Holiday played with Redick with the New Orleans Pelicans in his final year in the Bayou in the 2019-20 season before moving to the Milwaukee Bucks and winning a title there.
While in New Orleans, the two had a great relationship, with Redick even saying that a big part of his decision to sign with the Pelicans that year was Holiday:
“In conversations leading up to free agency, you know, I wanted to play with Jrue Holiday. I reached out to him and had a couple convos with him… I’d heard so many things about him from teammates and friends around the league. He was a big part of me going down to New Orleans,” reportedly said of his move then.
Redick last played in the NBA in the 2020-21 season with the Dallas Mavericks. He is now an on-air sports analyst for ESPN.
For his part, Holiday is now the starting point guard for the Celtics after being acquired from the Portland Trail Blazers in the offseason. He is currently averaging 13.4 points, 7.3 rebounds, 5.3 assists and 1.1 blocks for Boston (5-2).
Celtics great believes Jrue Holiday can help win a title
Boston Celtics great Paul Pierce believes Jrue Holiday could be the missing piece for the team’s quest to win its 18th NBA championship.
"The Truth" highlighted the leadership quality of the former UCLA Bruin, which he said is going to be key for the Celtics to finally go over the hump and return to the top of the league.
Pierce told Boston.com in an interview:
“I think Jrue is a natural leader, a natural glue guy. He’s a champion. He’s respected around the league. He’ll be respected here. It’s up to the guys around him to welcome him with open arms and make him feel comfortable not only as a player but his family.
“But, as far as fit, I feel like he was the missing piece.”
Jrue Holiday found his way to Boston after being traded from Portland, where he wound up following the blockbuster deal that sent Damian Lillard to Milwaukee.
Now with the Celtics, the one-time NBA champion is seen as fostering a winning mindset for a team that has been a steady league contender in the past couple of years.
Prior to joining the Celtics, Holiday averaged 19.3 points, 7.4 assists, 5,1 rebounds and 1.2 steals in his final year in Milwaukee.