Jrue Holiday joins elite company with 15,000 career points originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston
After scoring his ninth point in Monday night’s game against the New York Knicks, Boston Celtics guard Jrue Holiday joined an elite group of players to surpass 15,000 career points. Only 146 other players have ever passed the 15K mark, with only 19 of them active.
Holiday also joins an even more elite group, being the ninth active player to accumulate 15,000 points and 5,000 assists, alongside LeBron James, James Harden, Russell Westbrook, Stephen Curry, Chris Paul, Damian Lillard, Kyle Lowry, and Mike Conley.
Holiday’s storied career goes back to the 2009-10 season. After being drafted in the first round by the Philadelphia 76ers, 19-year-old Holiday made an instant impact on the team, cracking the starting lineup in 53 games.
It didn’t take long for fans around the league to recognize Holiday’s game. He grabbed his first All-Star nod in his fourth year at only 22 years old, where he averaged 17.7 points on 43.1 percent shooting, 8.0 assists, 4.2 rebounds, and 1.6 steals per game.
After his four-year stint with the Sixers, Holiday was sent to the New Orleans Pelicans, where he started to evolve as an elite two-way player. Ramping up his defensive efforts, Holiday was still putting on a show offensively, averaging 17.6 points on 46.2 percent shooting, 6.8 assists, 4.2 rebounds, and 1.6 steals per game across his seven-year stay in New Orleans.
Following the 2019-20 season, Holiday was sent to the Milwaukee Bucks in a blockbuster deal. In his first season with the Bucks, Holiday helped Giannis Antetokounmpo win his first NBA championship. Before joining the Celtics, Holiday’s numbers continued to improve during his three years in Milwaukee, averaging 18.5 points on 49.4 percent shooting, 6.8 assists, 4.7 rebounds, and 1.5 steals. Holiday also received his second All-Star nod in the 2022-23 season.
Prior to the start of this season, the Celtics elected to trade away Malcolm Brogdon, Robert Williams, and two first round picks to acquire Holiday, making Boston an instant favorite to win the NBA Finals. Aiming to make his teammates better, Holiday has become a playmaking defender, trying to help facilitate the offense while making game-winning plays on defense as well.
Through his first nine games in Boston, Holiday has averaged 12.8 points on 44.1 percent shooting, 5.9 assists, and a career-high 7.3 rebounds per game.