We are all familiar with the “Avengers”. Self-sacrificing heroes for the good of humanity. Touching. Unfortunately, they exist in comic books and on the silver screen. The closest we have got to tall, big, good-looking, and highly skilled heroes happens to be in the NBA.

Recently, the Paris Olympics team led by LeBron James, was fondly dubbed “Team Avengers”. The elite group includes top names like Stephen Curry and Kevin Durant. But, in a different line of work, NBA champion Jrue Holiday has surpassed all of them.

Jrue Holiday ranks ahead of LeBron, Curry and Durant

As we get closer to the NBA season, the sales of jerseys also pick up. This year is no different. Let’s take a look at the popular jerseys of this season. According to Sportsnaut’s list of top jerseys, Jrue Holiday ranks second. This is where it gets interesting. LeBron James is in the fourth position. Stephen Curry comes in the sixth and Kevin Durant is just ahead of Lillard at ninth place. Shocking?

Boston Celtics have a large fanbase. Add that to Jrue Holiday’s fans and this sudden turn of events would make sense. The Celtics have been on a rampage since 2022 arrived. Their defense got them over the edge and onto the other side.

Why swapping Smart for Holiday was a smart move for the Celtics

On October 1, the Boston Celtics acquired Jrue Holiday via a trade with the Blazers. Not everyone thought much of this trade. Even Holiday was at a loss for words initially. The veteran All-Star wanted to retire while staying with his favorite team, the Milwaukee Bucks. But the Fates had a different plan for the 33-year-old.

Read More: “Who the Fu**”: Years After Witnessing a Trade That Sent Shockwaves, Ex-NBA Star Comes Clean to Celtics Legend Kevin Garnett

Holiday is a better offensive player than Smart, which meant that the Celtics’ swap was to upgrade their guard position. When we move to the stats, Smart averaged 10.6 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 4.6 assists, shooting 32.3% from 3-point range and 38.6% from the field. Holiday, on the other hand, averaged 16.4 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 6.5 assists in his career, shooting 46.2% from the field and 36.6% from 3-point range. Numbers don’t lie.

Holiday is easily one of the impactful members of the team providing scoring, secondary playmaking, and elite defense. But the trade wasn’t without its risks. Holiday is potentially in the final year of his current contract, with the 2024-25 season being a player option on his deal. So, it’s up to the Celtics to seal a contract extension with Holiday before it’s too late. Until then, all we are looking forward to is the preseason game between the Celtics and the 76ers.

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