Aaron Holiday facts for kids
Holiday playing for the Washington Wizards in 2021
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| No. 0 – Houston Rockets | |
|---|---|
| Point guard | |
| Personal information | |
| Born | September 30, 1996 Ruston, Louisiana, U.S. |
| High school | Campbell Hall (Los Angeles, California) |
| Listed height | 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) |
| Listed weight | 185 lb (84 kg) |
| Career information | |
| College | UCLA (2015–2018) |
| NBA Draft | 2018 / Round: 1 / Pick: 23rd overall |
| Selected by the Indiana Pacers | |
| Pro career | 2018–present |
| League | NBA |
| Career history | |
| 2018–2021 | Indiana Pacers |
| 2021–2022 | Washington Wizards |
| 2022 | Phoenix Suns |
| 2022–2023 | Atlanta Hawks |
| 2023–present | Houston Rockets |
| Career highlights and awards | |
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Aaron Shawn Holiday (born September 30, 1996) is an American professional basketball player for the Houston Rockets in the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the UCLA Bruins. During his time at UCLA, he was recognized as an All-American, an honor for the best college players.
In the 2018 NBA draft, the Indiana Pacers chose him in the first round with the 23rd overall pick. Holiday comes from a basketball family. His older brothers, Jrue Holiday and Justin Holiday, also play in the NBA.
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Early Life and High School
Aaron Holiday was born in Ruston, Louisiana. His parents, Shawn and Toya, both played college basketball at Arizona State. His mom, Toya, was even named the Pac-10 Player of the Year in 1982.
Holiday went to Campbell Hall School in Los Angeles. He was a starter on the basketball team for all four years. As a freshman, he was the team's top scorer, averaging 24.3 points per game. By his junior year, he averaged 28.9 points, 8.5 rebounds, and 6.0 assists per game. He won several awards, including Los Angeles Daily News Player of the Year.
As a senior, Holiday focused more on passing and helping his teammates score. He still averaged an amazing 25 points, 8.5 rebounds, and 4.5 assists per game. His skills made him a top college recruit, and he was ranked as a four-star player by major sports websites.
College Career at UCLA
Holiday joined the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) and was known for his tough defense. He was so good at disrupting other teams that one coach called him a "little Tasmanian devil on defense."
Freshman Season (2015–16)
Holiday started right away as a freshman. He shared point guard duties with Bryce Alford, the coach's son. In a big game against the No. 1 ranked Kentucky, Holiday had 10 points, seven assists, and eight rebounds. UCLA won 87–77, their first victory over a top-ranked team since 2003.
He started all 32 games that season. He averaged 10.3 points and led the team in steals and three-point shooting percentage.
Sophomore Season (2016–17)
In his second year, a new star freshman named Lonzo Ball joined the team. Holiday moved to the bench and became the team's "sixth man," an important player who comes in to relieve the starters. Even with less playing time, he played very well.
In another game against No. 1 Kentucky, this time on their home court, Holiday scored 13 points to help UCLA win 97–92. This victory ended Kentucky's 42-game home winning streak. UCLA made it to the NCAA tournament but lost in the Sweet 16. Holiday averaged 12.3 points and 4.4 assists for the season.
Junior Season (2017–18)
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After Lonzo Ball went to the NBA, Holiday became the starting point guard for his junior year. He was now the team's leader. In a game against Washington State, he scored a career-high 33 points. He also had 11 rebounds and four assists.
Holiday continued to have an amazing season. In the final regular-season game against rival USC, he scored another career-high of 34 points. He led UCLA to victory and was named Pac-12 Player of the Week for the third time.
He finished the season leading the Pac-12 conference in scoring with 20.3 points per game. He was named a third-team All-American and made the All-Pac-12 first team. After this successful season, he decided to enter the NBA draft.
Professional NBA Career
Holiday's skills earned him a spot in the NBA, where he has played for several teams.
Indiana Pacers (2018–2021)
The Indiana Pacers selected Holiday in the 2018 NBA draft. At first, he didn't get much playing time. But when star player Victor Oladipo got injured, Holiday stepped up. On November 17, 2018, he scored 12 points to help the Pacers beat the Atlanta Hawks.
During the 2019-20 season, his brother Justin joined him on the Pacers. In a game against the New Orleans Pelicans, Aaron, Justin, and their other brother Jrue (who was on the Pelicans) all played on the court at the same time. This was the first time three brothers had ever played in an NBA game together.
Washington Wizards and Phoenix Suns
In August 2021, Holiday was traded to the Washington Wizards. He played part of the season there before being traded again.
On February 10, 2022, he was traded to the Phoenix Suns. He joined the Suns as they prepared for the playoffs, averaging 6.8 points in 22 games with the team.
Atlanta Hawks (2022–2023)
Holiday signed with the Atlanta Hawks for the 2022–23 season. This move reunited him with his brother Justin and his former coach, Nate McMillan. He played one season with the Hawks.
Houston Rockets (2023–Present)
On July 10, 2023, Holiday signed a contract with the Houston Rockets. He played well, and on July 6, 2024, he re-signed with the team. A year later, on July 10, 2025, he signed another one-year contract to stay with the Rockets.
Career Statistics
| Legend | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | Games played | GS | Games started | MPG | Minutes per game |
| FG% | Field goal percentage | 3P% | 3-point field goal percentage | FT% | Free throw percentage |
| RPG | Rebounds per game | APG | Assists per game | SPG | Steals per game |
| BPG | Blocks per game | PPG | Points per game | Bold | Career high |
NBA
Regular season
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018–19 | Indiana | 50 | 0 | 12.9 | .401 | .339 | .820 | 1.3 | 1.7 | .4 | .3 | 5.9 |
| 2019–20 | Indiana | 66 | 33 | 24.5 | .414 | .394 | .851 | 2.4 | 3.4 | .8 | .2 | 9.5 |
| 2020–21 | Indiana | 66 | 8 | 17.8 | .390 | .368 | .819 | 1.3 | 1.9 | .7 | .2 | 7.2 |
| 2021–22 | Washington | 41 | 14 | 16.2 | .467 | .343 | .800 | 1.6 | 1.9 | .6 | .2 | 6.1 |
| Phoenix | 22 | 1 | 16.3 | .411 | .444 | .939 | 2.5 | 3.4 | .8 | .0 | 6.8 | |
| 2022–23 | Atlanta | 63 | 6 | 13.4 | .418 | .409 | .844 | 1.2 | 1.4 | .6 | .2 | 3.9 |
| 2023–24 | Houston | 78 | 1 | 16.3 | .446 | .387 | .921 | 1.6 | 1.8 | .5 | .1 | 6.6 |
| 2024–25 | Houston | 61 | 3 | 12.8 | .436 | .395 | .829 | 1.3 | 1.3 | .3 | .2 | 5.5 |
| Career | 447 | 66 | 16.5 | .421 | .382 | .851 | 1.6 | 2.0 | .6 | .2 | 6.5 | |
Playoffs
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | Indiana | 3 | 0 | 4.3 | .400 | .500 | — | .0 | .0 | .0 | .0 | 1.7 |
| 2020 | Indiana | 4 | 2 | 18.0 | .571 | .444 | .600 | 1.3 | 2.5 | 1.0 | .0 | 7.8 |
| 2022 | Phoenix | 6 | 0 | 3.3 | .571 | .714 | .000 | .5 | 1.5 | .5 | .2 | 3.5 |
| 2023 | Atlanta | 1 | 0 | 4.0 | — | — | — | .0 | 1.0 | .0 | .0 | .0 |
| 2025 | Houston | 3 | 0 | 9.0 | .400 | .400 | .500 | .7 | 1.0 | .0 | .0 | 4.0 |
| Career | 17 | 2 | 8.0 | .520 | .522 | .500 | .6 | 1.4 | .4 | .1 | 4.1 | |
College
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015–16 | UCLA | 32 | 32 | 31.7 | .394 | .419 | .727 | 3.0 | 4.0 | 1.4 | .3 | 10.3 |
| 2016–17 | UCLA | 36 | 0 | 26.4 | .485 | .411 | .793 | 2.9 | 4.4 | 1.1 | .2 | 12.3 |
| 2017–18 | UCLA | 33 | 33 | 37.7 | .461 | .429 | .828 | 3.7 | 5.8 | 1.3 | .2 | 20.3 |
| Career | 101 | 65 | 31.8 | .450 | .422 | .795 | 3.2 | 4.7 | 1.2 | .2 | 14.3 | |
Personal Life
Holiday is the youngest of four children. His whole family plays basketball. His brothers Justin and Jrue are also professional NBA players. His sister, Lauren, played for the UCLA women's basketball team.
Holiday is also the brother-in-law of Lauren Holiday, a famous soccer player for the U.S. women's national team. In 2020, Aaron Holiday married Ashli Scott. They have three children together.
See also
In Spanish: Aaron Holiday para niños
