"People said I was crazy"- George Karl brings out receipts as Jrue Holiday over Damian Lillard take ages wellÂ
Less than one year after being traded, Jrue Holiday is a win away from winning a championship with his second team. As he continues to help elevate the Boston Celtics, one former coach pulled up his old receipts regarding the trade.
Before winding up on the Boston Celtics, Holiday spent three seasons with the Milwaukee Bucks. He had an immediate impact there, helping them win a championship in their first season. However, after a disappointing end in 2023, the Bucks decided change was needed.
Last offseason, they traded Holiday to the Portland Trail Blazers for Damian Lillard. He was eventually re-routed to the Celtics, turning them into a legitimate title threat. With Boston in the finals and Milwaukee at home, former coach George Karl brought back his take on the Jrue Holiday trade.
"People said I was crazy when I said swapping Damian for Jrue was a downgrade."
Holiday served as a complementary piece for the Celtics alongside Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown. Along with making an All-Defense team, he averaged 12.5 points, 5.4 rebounds and 4.8 assists in the regular season.
While Holiday found success in his new home, the Bucks clearly missed what he brought to the table. He left a void on the defensive end, which played a part in Milwaukee eventually getting eliminated in the first round.
Joel Embiid also throws shade at Bucks for trading Jrue Holiday
George Karl was not the only person to throw shade at the Milwaukee Bucks for trading away Jrue Holiday. As Game 3 between the Boston Celtics and Dallas Mavericks was wrapping up, Joel Embiid took to social media with his thoughts.
The Philadelphia 76ers star simply posed the question of whether Milwaukee gave the Celtics the title this year by trading away Holiday.
Having another high-level defender has helped the Celtics in a big way in this finals matchup. With Jrue Holiday and Derrick White in the backcourt, Boston has someone to take on Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving.
Holiday's impact has been moderate through most of the finals, but he had a standout showing in Game 2. The veteran guard caught fire offensively and finished with 26 points on 11-for-14 shooting from the field. Between this outing and what he's done on defense, Holiday is a dark horse candidate for Finals MVP.
Embiid brought up a valid point, but the Bucks are far from the only team to blame for this Celtics superteam. Boston also acquired White and Kristaps Porzingis in moves that look like massive steals now. That said, Holiday's all-around play is among the reasons the Celtics are closing in on another championship.