UCLA Basketball: All-Star Bruins Alum Expected To Make Team USA's Final 12 For Paris Olympics
NBA champion, All-Defensive Team mainstay (he's made five clubs and counting) and two-time All-Star combo guard Jrue Holiday remains one of the best UCLA Bruins alums in the league.
Fittingly, sources inform Shams Charania and Joe Vardon of The Athletic that the 6'4" Boston Celtics star is thought to be a shoo-in to make the final cut for Team USA's final roster heading into this summer's 2024 Paris Olympics. Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr will hope to redeem Team USA's abysmal World Cup finish in the summer of 2023.
Charania and Vardon posit that Holiday's point-of-attack defense and his abilities as a ball handler are highly valued by the Team USA decision makers. Holiday was a critical part of the 2021 gold medal-winning club in the Tokyo games (officially called the "2020 Olympics" because it was technically a continuation of a COVID-19-related delay), under the tutelage of San Antonio Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich.
This season, Holiday has taken a step back offensively for the Eastern Conference-leading Celtics (46-12). While often taking the toughest wing defensive assignment, the 14-year NBA pro is averaging 13 points on .479/.443/.824 shooting splits, 5.7 rebounds, 4.8 assists, 0.8 steals and 0.7 blocks a night.
