Why Rajon Rondo Loves Celtics’ Jrue Holiday Acquisition

The Celtics are projected to be the team to beat this season, and it’s one offseason acquisition that has the league buzzing about Boston.

After the Bucks acquired Damian Lillard from Portland, the Celtics were aggressive and traded for Jrue Holiday, whom the Trail Blazers received from Milwaukee in the Lillard trade. The move got Boston back in the race in terms of title odds, but multiple analysts believed Holiday could be the key for the Celtics to win Banner 18 and arguably could be better than Marcus Smart.

Head coach Joe Mazzulla has a lot of options with Holiday’s versatility, which will be worked out heading into Wednesday’s season opener against the New York Knicks.

Rajon Rondo was the latest Celtics champion to visit the team in practice. Rondo revealed he got a call from Paul Pierce at 3 a.m. ET about the open invitation, which he found to be “very welcoming.”

Rondo played with Holiday when the pair were with the Pelicans in the 2017-18 season, which left a memorable impression in the retired guard’s lone season in New Orleans.

“Well, they’re pretty impressive, obviously, like everyone thinks, on paper. But I love the Jrue Holiday pickup. He’s one of my favorite teammates I’ve ever played with all time. And I’m excited for you guys to see what he can bring night in and night out.”

Asked why Holiday was one of his favorite teammates, Rondo added: “Just his mentality, his mindset, his professional approach to the game. Just what he brings out there on the court. He does a lot of intangibles. He’s a very unselfish guy. He’s fun to be around. He’s a winner. He’s a competitor.”

Boston hopes Holiday’s experience from winning the 2021 title with the Bucks can help Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown realize their potential and finally get the Celtics over the top. Mazzulla also hopes these visits from champions of the past can provide the necessary motivation for a team that has a championship-or-bust mindset.