Jrue Holiday was surprised to hear his name mentioned in the discourse that followed head coach Mike Budenholzer’s firing in Phoenix.
The Celtics guard would prefer to be left out of it.
After the Suns dismissed Budenholzer on Monday following a disastrous debut season, NBA insider Chris Haynes reported the longtime NBA coach had drawn the ire of Phoenix star Bradley Beal by telling him he “wanted him to be the Jrue Holiday of this team.” Budenholzer previously coached Holiday with the Milwaukee Bucks, and the two won a championship together in 2021, with Holiday playing a vital supporting role behind two-time NBA MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo.
Budenholzer’s request for Beal to do the same on a roster that also featured Kevin Durant and Devin Booker “wasn’t well-received,” per Haynes’ reporting.
Holiday was asked for his take on that report after Tuesday’s Celtics practice.
“I guess I have nothing to say because this is the first time I’m hearing about it,” he said. “I think me and Brad are different players. And I also don’t know what he meant by saying that. But we are different players. Brad is an elite scorer, and he’s had somewhat of an off year. So I feel like just things are different. It’s tough to go from where he was, somewhere like in Washington, and then kind of experience the experience that he’s been going through. I just don’t know why people gotta bring me into it. Let me just do me, go out here and try to win as many rings as I can.”
Holiday is seeking his third NBA championship after winning another with the Celtics last season. He’s also looking to avoid the fate that befell the 2021-22 Bucks, who were bounced in the Eastern Conference semifinals. The NBA has not had a repeat champion since 2018, and the last five title-winners all failed to reach the conference finals the following season.
With their Durant-Booker-Beal big three and a new, proven coach in Budenholzer, the Suns were expected to contend in the Western Conference this season. But they wound up being one of the league’s biggest disappointments, finishing 36-46 and missing the playoffs. Phoenix then swiftly fired Budenholzer less than a year after signing him to a five-year, $50 million contract.
“Can you really be surprised by anything nowadays?” Holiday replied when asked about his former coach’s ouster. “People get traded, and crazy trades happen. And then a lot of coaches have gotten fired and nobody knows the exact reason. Everybody can speculate but obviously there’s something that they want to work out and something they will do as an organization.
“But I mean, Bud’s sitting on a bag. Right, that’s what they say? He got fired, but he’s sitting on a bag, so he can’t be that upset right?”