Jrue Holiday has a blunt reaction to being in the Finals MVP conversation originally appeared in NBC Sports Boston
On a team led by two superstars in their prime, 34-year-old Jrue Holiday is making a legitimate case for the 2024 NBA Finals MVP.
Holiday was instrumental in the Boston Celtics taking a 2-0 series lead over the Dallas Mavericks. He has 38 points, 19 rebounds, eight assists and zero turnovers in two games and is the first player since Michael Jordan in 1998 record at least 38 points and zero turnovers combined in Games 1 and 2 of the NBA Finals.
With Jayson Tatum mired in a shooting slump in Game 2, Holiday stepped up with a team-high 26 points on 11-of-14 shooting, becoming the first player in NBA Finals history score at least 25 points and 10 rebounds on 75 percent or better shooting with zero turnovers while leading Boston to a 105-98 victory.
Holiday started the series with a long shot at winning Finals MVP at +5000, but now has +750 odds to win the Bill Russell Trophy, per Fanatics Sportsbookbehind only Tatum (+125), Jaylen Brown (+600) and Mavs star Luka Doncic (+650).
What would it mean for the 15-year veteran to win Finals MVP at this stage in his career? Not much, apparently.
“I don’t. It doesn’t matter to me,” Holiday told NBC Sports Boston’s Abby Chin in a one-on-one interview on Tuesday when asked if he thought about winning Finals MVP.
“It’s not something I think about. Winning is what matters, and how you do it is what matters. And I feel like as a team, collectively, I think we did a great job.”
Holiday’s team approach is a big reason why the Celtics are a combined 78-20 in the regular season and playoffs. The two-time All-Star voluntarily took on a smaller offensive role this season — he averaged 10.0 shots per game, his lowest output since his rookie year — and accepted being a facilitator and a defensive back. So it’s no surprise that he isn’t worried about individual awards, even if they are as prestigious as Finals MVP.
“It takes whatever it takes,” Holiday added. “I feel like that’s been our mentality this whole series, it takes whatever it takes. So no matter if I’m tired or refreshed, I’m going to do what needs to be done to try to win the game.”
Holiday did that and then some in two games; In addition to his offensive contributions, he has been a threat defensively while also helping limit Kyrie Irving to just 26 total points on 35.1 percent shooting.
The Celtics will likely have the Mavs’ best chance in Game 3 as the series shifts to Dallas, and Kristaps Porzingis’ status uncertain due to ‘rare’ leg injury could give the Mavs more confidence. The C’s have yet to lose on the road this postseason, and Holiday believes they will be ready for the challenge on Wednesday night.
“It’s us versus them,” Holiday added. “It’s like we win or we die, and that’s the mentality we have to have. Either we win or we both die.
“That’s the joke by the way, but I think most of the time, being able to have that kind of intensity going into a visiting team’s arena, going out there and trying to get a win is something we live for. basket players.”
Check out Holiday’s full interview with Abby Chin in the video player above, or on YouTube below.
