After winning a championship with the Boston Celtics and an Olympic gold medal with Team USA this summer, many have discussed whether guard Jrue Holiday deserves a spot in the Hall of Fame. Holiday has never been an MVP-caliber player in the NBA. However, he has still played a major role on every team he has been with. Although some say he should not be in the Hall of Fame, a former NBA player has made his opinion known. On X, 10-year NBA veteran Evan Turner responded to a post discussing Holiday’s case for the Hall of Fame. In response to the question of whether Holiday is a candidate for the Hall of Fame or not, Turner simply said “Yes.”
— Evan Turner (@thekidet) August 13, 2024
Turner was teammates with Holiday from 2010 to 2013 with the Philadelphia 76ers. Though Holiday was still in the early years of his career at the time, Turner knows firsthand how valuable he is on the court.
Evan Turner Says Boston Celtics Champion is a Hall of Famer
Jrue Holiday’s Hall of Fame Case
Holiday has spent 15 seasons in the NBA up to this point with the Celtics, 76ers, New Orleans Pelicans, and Milwaukee Bucks. In that time, he won two championships and two Olympic gold medals. Furthermore, he has been selected to two All-Star teams, three All-Defensive First Teams, and three All-Defensive Second Teams. Additionally, he is a three-time Twyman-Stokes Teammate of the Year. Statistically, the UCLA alum has over 15000 points, 6000 assists, 4000 rebounds, 1400 steals, and 500 blocks. Holiday is also just 25 regular season games away from reaching 1,000 career games played in the NBA.
According to Basketball Reference, Holiday has a 1.7% chance of making the Hall of Fame. However, this measure is strictly based on stats and accolades. While Holiday’s career stats and accolades are impressive, it is his impact on the court that cannot be seen on the stat sheet that makes him stand out. Regardless, Holiday has made it clear accolades do not mean much to him.
In a March episode of The Draymond Green Podcast, Holiday said he does not “really care for accolades.” However, he also said “It would be really cool to win [Defensive Player of the Year]” at some point in this career.
“Coaches in the NBA see how good of a defender I am, and that’s all I need. I can see the respect when my guy’s going up there setting up a screen, and they say, ‘No, go for the next one.’ Alright, respect,” Jrue said on The Draymond Green Show. “I don’t really care for the accolades. It would be really cool to win DPOY, yeah. But I was so happy when Marcus (Smart) won it because it’s been a long time since a guard won it.”
The Last Word on Jrue Holiday
Holiday is a fantastic player who deserves Hall of Fame recognition. Some say he should get in due to his longevity and winning style of basketball. However, others would say he belongs in the “Hall of Very Good.” Ultimately, it is too early to decide just yet. Despite being 34 years old, Holiday signed a four-year contract extension earlier this year. If he wins another championship or two, the Hall of Fame would seem like a fitting destination for Holiday.
