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Jrue Holiday clarifies comments on Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown
"I do not prefer one or the other. I prefer both."
Before fielding questions from the media after the Celtics’ Game 2 win over the Mavericks in the NBA Finals, Jrue Holiday wanted to get something off his chest.
The veteran guard generated headlines over the weekend by saying Mavericks coach Jason Kidd wasn’t “lying” about his claim that Jaylen Brown is the best player on Boston’s roster.
Most of the Celtics players didn’t take the bait from Kidd’s attempt to drum up division in regards to Boston’s hierarchy of talent. But after appearing to agree with Kidd’s commentary about Brown’s spot on Boston’s pecking order (at the detriment of Jayson Tatum), Holiday opened his presser on Sunday by clarifying his previous comments.
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“If I could say something before we jump in. I want to address the comment that was made yesterday. I feel like people kind of took that out of context,” Holiday said. “I’ve been hearing 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’re playing well, and I feel like that’s what I did my best to do.
“When I got here, JT was the first person to text me. I already know that — and both of them know how I feel about them, how I feel about them as players. But to compare them is something that I would never do because they’re two completely different players as well as being on the same team, and the things that they have done in this organization and the things that they have done against me as an opponent.
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“I say, like, how they play together and how they work together is something that is sacred and something that can’t be broken. So just to address the comment yesterday, I do not prefer one or the other. I prefer both. Both of them are superstars, and it’s being shown out here on the biggest stage in the world.”
While both Tatum and Brown have long established themselves as superstar talents on Boston’s roster, it was Holiday who led the way in the Celtics’ Game 2 victory.
On a night where Boston’s 3-point shooting left a lot to be desired (25.6 percent off 39 attempts from beyond the arc), Holiday converted on 11 of his 14 shots en route to a team-high 26 points and 11 rebounds.
Holiday is an All-Star talent in his own right whose reputation across the league is further validated by his key role in the Bucks’ 2021 championship run. But even with his stacked resume, Holiday downplayed talk that he should also be categorized as a superstar on this Celtics’ roster.
“I’m a utility guy. I’ll do whatever. I’m here to win. I feel like they brought me here to win, and I’ll do my best to do that. But at the end of the day, this is their team,” Holiday said of Tatum and Brown. “I know it’s probably just as much my team as theirs, but again, I feel like I talked about this before, the pressure that they have on themselves to execute and to be great is a little bit different than my pressure.
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“And, again, I’ve always been honest about that and how they always handle themselves has been something that’s been so honorable. So it’s just, it’s slightly different. They’re superstars and I’m here to support.”
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