“[Jrue Holiday] is the most underrated player of this generation. This guy’s different,” mentioned Andre Iguodala, once praising Jrue Holiday for epically rising to the top. He joined the Philadelphia 76ers in 2009, with Andre at the same franchise since 2004. If you, as a fan, see Andre Iguodala play, he does a bit of everything. He is a talented player with a unique skill set helping the Warriors to win the NBA title.

Many people think the Warriors wouldn’t have won championships without Andre Iguodala. But after praising Holiday earlier, Jrue came out in Podcast P with Paul George to discuss his initial thoughts about Iguodala. Close your ears, Andre, you won’t like it!

“I had Andre behind me talking trash coz anybody knows Dre. He was one of the most sarcastic people that I have ever known. In fact, I hated him in my rookie year. He was just an a***ole bro. I’m like oh my gosh. He won’t back off,” mentioned Holiday, discussing the initial years of his rookie career. It’s natural for young rookies to come into the league and have some senior players behind their backs.

It works both ways. Hear me out!

Sometimes, players can get to the confidence of a junior player and become a toxic mentor. The rookie’s dreams of playing in the major leagues could be jeopardized if he doesn’t get his act together, potentially leaving him without a contract when he’s at his peak. Not a great way to get out of the league.

While there are others like Holiday, who understand Iguodala, “It ended up becoming a great relationship, and I learned a lot from him.” Vice versa, Iguodala completely knew what Holiday could bring to the Celtics.

Jrue Holiday became the catalyst for the Boston Celtics’ 18th banner!

“Every team he’s been on maximized their potential… I’m a huge Jrue Holiday fan, I know what he brings to the table. He’s a great balance for [the Celtics],” said Iguodala. He certainly did that. You get a clear picture if you witness his rookie season, and the 2024 season with Celtics.

When he arrived in the league, the dynamic point guard averaged 8.0 points per game. But focus on something important. Scoring points was never Holiday’s go-to stat. It’s the intangibles. It’s the perimeter defense he plays. If you look at his playoffs run, during the championship runs with the Milwaukee Bucks and the Boston Celtics, he averaged a defensive box +/- of 1.2 and 1.6, respectively.

Hustle plays became a mainstay in Holiday’s career as he stole the ball 1.7 per game with the Bucks and 1.1 with the Celtics. As the famous saying goes, defense wins you titles!

When he finishes his career, he will probably go down as one of the best in the game. That’s the greatness and influence of Jrue Holiday. And certainly, some of the defensive play’s credit goes to Andre Iguodala. What a mentor to cherish!