Jrue Randall Holiday (pronounced DROO; born on June 12, 1990) is an American professional basketball player. He plays for the Portland Trail Blazers in the National Basketball Association (NBA).

Before joining the NBA, Jrue played college basketball for one year at UCLA. The Philadelphia 76ers then picked him in the first round of the 2009 NBA draft. He was the 17th player chosen overall.

Jrue played four seasons with the 76ers. In 2013, he moved to the New Orleans Pelicans. Later, in 2020, he joined the Milwaukee Bucks and won his first NBA championship in 2021. In 2023, he was traded to the Boston Celtics and won his second NBA championship in 2024. He was traded back to the Portland Trail Blazers in July 2025.

Jrue Holiday has been named an NBA All-Star twice. He has also been chosen for the NBA All-Defensive Team six times. He won gold medals with the U.S. Olympic team in 2020 and the U.S. Olympic team in 2024. Many people think Jrue is one of the best defensive guards in NBA history.

Jrue Holiday's Early Life

Jrue Holiday was born to Shawn and Toya Holiday. Both of his parents played college basketball at Arizona State. His mother, Toya, was even named the best player in her conference in 1982.

Jrue went to Campbell Hall School in Los Angeles, California. In his final year of high school, he was amazing on the court. He averaged about 26 points, 11 rebounds, 7 assists, and 5 steals per game. His team won the California Division IV state title.

Experts like Rivals.com rated Jrue as the top point guard in his class in 2008. He was also named the Gatorade National Player of the Year. He played in the McDonald's All-American Game, where he scored 14 points.

Outside of basketball, Jrue was part of his school's gospel choir. He was also the leader of the percussion section in the school orchestra. Plus, he helped manage the school's girls' tennis team!

College Basketball Career

In the 2008–09 season, Jrue Holiday played for the UCLA Bruins. He played alongside another future NBA player, Darren Collison.

Jrue started all 35 games he played. He averaged 8.5 points, 3.8 rebounds, 3.7 assists, and 1.6 steals per game. He shot well from the field and the free-throw line. Because of his great play, he was named to the Pac-10 All-Freshman Team.

He scored a career-high 20 points in a game against Florida International. After this season, he decided to enter the NBA draft. This meant he gave up his last three years of college eligibility.

Professional Basketball Career

Philadelphia 76ers (2009–2013)

Starting in the NBA (2009–2012)

The Philadelphia 76ers picked Jrue Holiday 17th overall in the 2009 NBA draft. On April 3, 2010, he scored 25 points against the Toronto Raptors, which was his highest score that season.

In November 2010, Jrue scored a new career-high of 29 points against the Cleveland Cavaliers. In February 2011, he achieved his first "triple-double." This means he had double-digit numbers in three categories: 11 points, 10 rebounds, and 11 assists against the New Jersey Nets.

In March 2012, Jrue set another career high with 30 points against the Chicago Bulls.

Becoming an All-Star (2012–2013)

Holiday playing against Kevin Séraphin of the Wizards in March 2013

In November 2012, Jrue scored a new career-high of 33 points against the Phoenix Suns. In January 2013, he got his second triple-double, again against the Suns. He scored 16 points, grabbed 10 rebounds, and made 10 assists.

Later that month, he scored a career-high 35 points against the New York Knicks. On January 24, Jrue was chosen to be an NBA All-Star for the first time. At 22 years old, he became the youngest player in the 76ers' history to be an All-Star.

New Orleans Pelicans (2013–2020)

Dealing with Injuries (2013–2017)

Holiday in January 2014

In July 2013, Jrue was traded to the New Orleans Pelicans. His 2013–14 season ended early because he needed surgery for a leg injury. He had not played since January due to the injury. In 34 games, he averaged 14.3 points, 7.9 assists, and 1.6 steals.

In January 2015, Jrue reached 5,000 career points in a game against the Washington Wizards. He later missed 41 games due to another leg injury. He returned to play in April.

In March 2016, Jrue scored a career-high 38 points against the Charlotte Hornets. Later that month, he was out for the rest of the season with a facial injury.

In November 2016, Jrue returned to play after missing the first 12 games. He had been taking care of his wife. In his first game back, he scored 21 points in a win against the Portland Trail Blazers. In January 2017, he had 33 points and 10 assists in a victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Becoming a Top Defender (2017–2020)

In July 2017, Jrue signed a new contract with the Pelicans. He had a season-high 34 points and 11 assists in a game against the Toronto Raptors in November. In December, he scored 34 points against the Golden State Warriors. The next day, he scored 37 points against the Houston Rockets.

In February 2018, Jrue scored 28 of his 36 points in the second half. This helped the Pelicans win in overtime against the Milwaukee Bucks. In March, he had 19 points and 17 assists in a win over the Los Angeles Clippers.

In the playoffs, Jrue had a career playoff-high 33 points in Game 2 against the Trail Blazers. In Game 4, he scored 41 points as the Pelicans swept the Trail Blazers. The Pelicans then lost to the Warriors in the next round.

In November 2018, Jrue reached 2,000 career assists. In December, he had season highs of 32 points and 14 assists against the Clippers. He scored 37 points in a win against the Detroit Pistons. In January 2019, he had a career-high six blocks in a game against the Rockets. He was the first guard in NBA history with such high numbers in points, rebounds, assists, and blocks. In March, he had surgery for a core muscle injury, ending his season.

In December 2019, Jrue played against his brothers, Justin and Aaron Holiday, who were on the Indiana Pacers. This was the first time three brothers played on the same NBA court at once. In March 2020, Jrue scored a season-high 37 points against the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Milwaukee Bucks (2020–2023)

Winning an NBA Championship (2020–2021)

Holiday and the Milwaukee Bucks with President Joe Biden at the White House after their 2021 NBA championship

In November 2020, Jrue was traded to the Milwaukee Bucks in a big four-team trade.

In April 2021, he scored a season-high 33 points against the Kings. The next day, Jrue signed a new four-year contract with the Bucks. He was chosen for the NBA First Team All-Defense. He averaged 1.63 steals per game, which was fifth best in the league.

In the playoffs, Jrue had a career-high 15 assists in a win against the Miami Heat. In the Eastern Conference Finals, he helped the Bucks reach the 2021 NBA Finals for the first time since 1974. In Game 5 of the NBA Finals against the Phoenix Suns, Jrue made a very important steal and assist to Giannis Antetokounmpo. This helped the Bucks win the game. In Game 6, Jrue helped Milwaukee win the series 4–2. This gave him his first NBA championship!

Close Calls (2021–2022)

Holiday (left) with his brother Aaron (center) of the Washington Wizards in 2021

In October 2021, Jrue missed some games due to an ankle injury. In December, he scored 26 points and had 14 assists in a win against the Indiana Pacers. He scored a career-high 40 points in an overtime loss against his old team, the New Orleans Pelicans.

In March 2022, Jrue made a game-winning shot with 1.9 seconds left to beat the Miami Heat. He finished that game with 25 points, 6 rebounds, and 11 assists. The next game, he scored 16 of his 26 points in the fourth quarter to beat the Chicago Bulls.

In the playoffs, Jrue scored 26 points in a win against the Bulls. In Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals, he scored 25 points, including the game-winning shot, against the Boston Celtics. In Game 5, Jrue made a key block and a steal in the final seconds to help the Bucks win. However, the Bucks lost in Game 7 and were eliminated from the playoffs.

Second All-Star Selection (2022–2023)

In October 2022, Jrue scored 25 points and had 10 assists in a win against the Detroit Pistons. In January 2023, he scored a season-high 35 points and had 11 assists against the Indiana Pacers. In the next game, he scored 37 points against the Toronto Raptors.

Jrue was named the NBA Eastern Conference Player of the Week in January 2023. On February 2, Jrue was chosen for the 2023 NBA All-Star Game. This was his second All-Star selection, and it came 10 seasons after his first. This is the longest gap between selections for any player in NBA history.

In February, Jrue tied his career-high with 40 points against the Boston Celtics. He also made a career-high eight three-point shots. In March, he scored a new career-high of 51 points in just 32 minutes. He also had 8 rebounds and 8 assists in a win against the Indiana Pacers. In April, Jrue had 20 points, 8 rebounds, and a season-high 15 assists against the Chicago Bulls. This helped the Bucks secure the top spot in the NBA playoffs.

In the first game of the playoffs, Jrue had a playoff career-high 16 assists. However, the Bucks lost to the Miami Heat in Game 5 and were eliminated.

Boston Celtics (2023–2025)

Winning a Second NBA Championship (2023–2024)

In September 2023, Jrue Holiday was traded to the Portland Trail Blazers as part of a big three-team trade. Four days later, he was traded again to the Boston Celtics.

In April 2024, Jrue signed a new four-year contract extension with the Celtics. In Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals against the Indiana Pacers, he scored a season-high 28 points. The Celtics swept the Pacers in four games to reach the 2024 NBA Finals. Jrue became the first player in NBA history to average at least 18 points, 7 rebounds, and 5 assists with amazing shooting percentages in a conference finals series.

In Game 2 of the NBA Finals against the Dallas Mavericks, he scored 26 points and grabbed 11 rebounds. The Celtics won the series in five games, giving Jrue his second NBA championship! He became the first NBA player to win a championship in his first season with two different teams.

Awards and Recognition (2024–2025)

In May 2025, Jrue Holiday received the 2024–2025 Sportsmanship Award. A few days later, he was named the 2024–25 Social Justice Champion.

Portland Trail Blazers (2025–present)

On July 7, 2025, Jrue Holiday was traded back to the Portland Trail Blazers.

Personal Life

Jrue Holiday comes from a family of basketball players. Both of his brothers, Justin and Aaron, have played in the NBA. His younger sister, Lauren, played college basketball for the UCLA women's team.

In July 2013, Jrue married professional soccer player Lauren Cheney. They met at a UCLA women's basketball game when Jrue was in college. Lauren was sitting behind him and joked that he was "cuter than Darren" (referring to his teammate, Darren Collison). They became friends and started dating later. They now host basketball and soccer clinics together at UCLA.

In September 2016, Jrue took time off from playing to care for Lauren. She was diagnosed with a brain tumor. The next month, Lauren had brain surgery, just weeks after giving birth to their daughter, J.T. (Jrue Tyler). They welcomed their second child, a boy named Hendrix, in late 2020.

Jrue Holiday is a Christian. He has said that his faith helps him stay calm when things are out of his control.

In April 2025, it was announced that the Holiday family had invested in the North Carolina Courage, a professional soccer team.

Images for kids

Holiday (left) with his brother Aaron (center) of the Washington Wizards in 2021

Jrue Holiday facts for kids

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