Jrue Holiday has proved time and time again that he’s not only a great competitor and teammate, but also an athlete who plays with honor. The veteran guard has just won his second NBA sportsmanship award, making him now the fifth player in league history to earn this accolade in multiple occasions.
The 34-year-old received 34% of the first-place votes which we cast by almost 400 NBA players. The rest were Cavaliers’ Jarrett Allen in second place, Mavericks star Kyrie Irving as third, MVP candidate Shai Gilgeous-Alexander fourth, L.A.’s Dorian Finney-Smith in fifth and Orlando’s Franz Wagner at sixth.
“In my experience, some of the best competitors are those who pair a quiet confidence with humility, show respect for the competition with their own preparation and work, and have the stamina to navigate the ups and downs of a season with grit and perspective,” said Celtics president Brad Stevens.
The executive then added: “There is no better example of this than Jrue. He is the ultimate teammate and sets a great example for those striving to compete with integrity. His game does his talking, and his impact, on and off the court, goes well beyond his game.”
Holiday, who became the first Boston star to earn this award, now joins four-time winner Mike Conley, three-time winner Grant Hill and two-time winners Jason Kidd and Kemba Walker as the only players to conquer the accolade more than once.
How does the award work? Each of the league’s 30 franchises nominate one player for the sportsmanship honors, and then NBA executives narrow the list to six finalists, one from each division. Afterwards, players and colleagues decide the final votes.
Jrue is also earned the Twyman-Stokes Teammate of the Year Award three times in the past, and again became a finalist this campaign for the NBA’s Social Justice Champion Award. This recognition has existed for five years already, with Holiday being a finalist in three occasions.