Jrue Holiday, boxing champion? He made All-NBA, but maybe not at this point in his life. During the Celtics’ 108-104 win over the Knicks at Madison Square Garden on Wednesday, Brown’s friend Jaylen Brown thought of one while watching how he played defense. Through NBC Sports, Brown said, “He’s like the fighter who always walks you down.” Chris Forsberg from Boston. “Do you often watch boxing?”

“He likes to put stress on you all the time.” They’re always in your space and don’t always try to swing or punch. That sounds a bit like Jrue. “He’s always in that ring when he’s defending himself, you know what I mean?”

Holiday had a bad night shooting, making only 4 of 10 shots overall and 1 of 5 from beyond the arc. However, his friends talked about how much his defense helped them win.

Boston is ready for the start of the 2023–24 NBA season. They now have players who can help them win even on nights when they can’t hit the broad side of a barn.