Jrue Holiday Introductory Media Availability | Portland Trail Blazers

Jrue Holiday Introductory Media Availability | Portland Trail Blazers

Good morning. How we doing, Drew? All right, start with some questions. Drew, welcome to Portland. Thank you. Um, your thoughts on the city, the team, and what’s ahead of you? Yeah. Um, the city, I haven’t spent as much time, but the team, I know, uh, I’ve actually played a couple of series against them, and, um, I know the crowd here is amazing. Uh, obviously just being here for the little time that I have recently. Um, everybody here seems very, very nice. um as a as a city, but the organization has been great. It’s been great to me and my family and I’m really excited to be here. Take us back to when the trade happened. Like where were you? How did you find out? Yeah, I was at home. I was at home in California. Um I ended up getting a call from Brad. He ended up telling me uh a little bit before. So um but I was excited. I knew that obviously I got traded here before and um so it was just kind of full circle talking to Chanty about it, talking to Joe about it. And uh I really do appreciate what they did for me the first time around um that really does mean a lot for me in my career. So um I know this time around just talking to them uh they’re just kind of like you know I got another chance to get you and and um they thought that I’d be a good piece here. So excited to be here. Drew, have you thought at all about kind of how you fit onto this team and the role you’ll inhabit? Uh you know honestly we’ve talked about offense slightly uh a little bit. Obviously defense I feel like I fit in anywhere. um knowing the type of defense that they that they had and played with. Excuse me, sir. Yeah, let’s let’s relax a little bit. Um right here, hold that. Um yeah, the type of defense that they had last year. Uh super excited about, but honestly, I’m here to fit in wherever I fit in. Uh Drew, you uh you know, a lot of the talk since this trade has happened about how you kind of fit with and you know, be able to kind of help out the young guards, particularly Scoo Henderson, Shaden Sharp. What do you think about those guys as as far as like what you’ve seen from their career so far? You know, younger guys that uh you could tell let a game of basketball. They they let a hoop. Um you could tell they give 110% every time they play. So, super excited to if it’s mentor, mentor them. But um just kind of play the game, you know, uh be able to uh go out here and and show the world uh not just my talent, but theirs and and uh just from playing against them, they have have long roads ahead of them. They’re going to have a very long careers. Do you kind of value a mentorship role being that kind of guy in in a young locker room? Sure. Uh I think I really just like basketball. It doesn’t really matter the age. I know when I was younger and first coming in, um, I had vets, but, um, I try not to look at them as vets. I more just kind of like, uh, study everything around me. And even though I’m at this age now, I feel like I still try to do the same thing, even though guys might be younger. And, uh, I might not like the same type of music or, uh, uh, we might not be in the same thing. But I also feel like that’s what makes us a team is finding com finding commonality um and and be able to uh mesh and and um mesh over that and then kind of translate to the court. You mentioned things coming full circle. It really comes full circle when they signed Dame. Just what was your reaction when you Yeah. No, I um well when he got released I I texted him uh a little emoji and um I don’t know. I maybe it was kind of like, you know, what’s up? Cuz obviously Dame loves Portland and he’s been here for years and I know his family and stuff is here. Um, but to be able to play with him on the same team is something that I’ve wanted to do for a long time and even before I uh left New Orleans, that was uh something that I’ve always wanted to do. So, um, being able to do it back here and, um, especially with a team that Dame has really put on his back for a long time is is really cool. Why, why playing you guys play the same position, you don’t normally hear guys, you know, long for that. You know, um, I think I play every position. I think I’ve proven that and shown that throughout my career. Um, I think for me, I’m I’m a complete basketball player, so you can’t just put uh just one position on me. And even the way the game is changing now, there’s so many guys who may may have never played point guard and you come into the league and and they’re playing point guard now. So, um I feel like I’m good. I’m a good fit with anyone. And again, Dame’s game is so easy to play with. Um he opens up the floor because of his scoring ability and his shooting ability. And he gets you open shots because his of his driving ability. So, um I feel like what’s not to want to play with? You going to let him talk about your Wi-Fi like that though? Yeah. Yeah. You have to defend the Wi-Fi. No, no, no. I I um Yeah. No, he he texted me a couple times about the Wi-Fi. That’s my bad. But, uh just, you know, um sometimes you just want to be off the grid, you know. Uh but no, seriously, I I ended up getting it fixed and and everything was uh everything was cool, but uh sometimes, yeah, dealing dealing with life without Wi-Fi can be hard. So, obviously, your family is so very important to you. I followed you since your college days. I know the medical struggles your wife went through and overcame. I know how important your family is to you now always. Uh Dame obviously made it very well known that part of the reason you wanted to come back to Portland was because of his family. How nice is it to know that you’re going to be playing alongside a teammate and a friend, someone who has similar values. Yeah, it’s great. Um, again, like he said, he he rented my house in in uh Milwaukee, which we had kind of built that house for our kids. So, we had um cool toys and and uh like rock climbing wall and stuff at the house that the kids could really play with, a nice little like toy uh playroom and everything. So, um I think to be able to come back uh again somebody who I spent a lot of time with first uh you know early in our career with um at the time I wasn’t with Nike and we were on the same circuit so spent a lot of time in China and then winning a gold medal together and then now coming back here we’re like when we started off we didn’t have any kids and now we have multiple kids. Um it’s going to be really cool especially because I’m not the only one that has kids. I don’t know how many guys on the team have kids currently, but but now there’s now I know there’s somebody who has multiple kids and um really excited about that. Drew, you mentioned how you won that gold medal and you have like a lot of accolades on your resume. Do you have any kind of immediate goals that you want to accomplish with the Blazers? It seems like your resume kind of had a lot on it. Honestly, it’s to win. Um I feel like that’s always been the ultimate goal ever since you’ve started playing basketball is to win and whatever that may look like. Uh, obviously taking small wins is great, but um, winning is is what we do is is what we play this game for. So, um, if it’s getting to the playoffs, if it’s, uh, winning a championship, I I feel like winning is the purpose and the reason why why I’m here. Is it difficult to go from playing on multiple NBA contenders the last few seasons to going to a team that’s fighting to make the playoffs? We’ll find out. No, I um I feel like No. Uh, I think that I’ve been in the game long enough to know that it’s not always going to be the brightest or the best, um, or the easiest, whatever you want to say. But, um, I think coming to a team and an organization that, uh, has the character of this, uh, team and organization makes basketball, uh, great. And that’s why you want to come here and that’s why you want to come here and you want to play because, okay, hold on. uh that’s why you want to come here and play because you feel like you’re a part of something bigger than yourself. Um you feel like you’re a part of uh a bigger team and a bigger purpose. So going back to the mentorship aspect, can you think of a guy or two back in back in your early years who kind of served that role for you and what made important? Yeah. Uh one was Andre Gadala. Um he was a jerk. you know, my rookie year, he was just on you or he was on me. He was on me about a lot and I didn’t really understand why until later. Um, he obviously saw something in me that that I guess I hadn’t seen yet. And um, just constantly being on me and harping on me about being consistent and uh, the things that I have to do were super important. Um, I had Elton Bran who I think everybody knows Elton Bran’s game and uh, his career has been amazing and what he’s doing in Philly. Uh, also had Aaron McKe as a as a coach. So, he was kind of like my player coach who really um instilled in me a lot of hard work. Uh, and because we were the same position, he coached me up a lot on uh how to be solid as a as a not just a human, but or not just as a player, but as a human and kind of how that translates on and off the court. So, with Iggy, was it just like tryh hard in practice like every No, it wasn’t tryh hard cuz I always had try hard. Um, it was just like sometimes as a young kid, you might not lock in as much as you you probably should and uh obviously you have creativity and you might want to try to try things uh if it’s defensively or offensively and he would always tell me just be solid. Um so he would give me he he would give me hints on when to pick and choose to be creative and when to take risks, but um at the time I think I was taking a lot. So, when you talked about the defensive side and seeing the improvement there, how how do you feel like your skills and your abilities help improve a team defensively kind of in the broad strokes? You know, hopefully just knowledge. Um maybe something that uh I’ve seen that the young guys haven’t seen yet or um just coming in with that same type of energy at the point guard position, guarding uh guarding the point guard. um sometimes um being ahead this head of the snake in that way could lead to a strong defense uh behind you. So um not only that, you know, communication. I know Chanty has uh done a great job with them defensively, but um honestly, whatever whatever I can bring to the defensive end, I’m I’m excited about. Have you got a chance to check out Young Nelson yet? Any of his highlights? Yeah, I mean he’s been a superstar. He’s been uh No, he’s been hooping. Um, we were talking about it earlier just like about how much media and stuff that that he’s had, you know, during Vegas, but it’s um, he deserves it. He’s been he’s been doing his thing. I’m not sure anybody uh, kind of kind of saw like how well he would play, but he’s been out there playing well, so I’m excited. What are your thoughts on playing for Chanty? Oh, I’m excited. Uh, I’ve always been a big fan of Chanty. Uh, obviously again a little older than these young guys. So, I actually got to watch Chanty play in his prime. Um, especially Detroit, me growing up a Lakers fan. Um, uh, him playing with Ben Wallace and, uh, Rasheed Wallace and Rip Hamilton, like all these guys that I studied playing. Um, so being able to be coached by Hall of Fame coaches is or a Hall of Fame player is is pretty cool. In your conversations with him, what has he said to you about what he expects out of you? His expectations to be me. Um to bring the leadership that I that I’ve brought to multiple uh organizations to be able to come in here and um be as adaptable as possible. Um and and and again, the most important thing is to win. Makeup of this team is a little bit different than the last few teams you’ve been on in terms of age. Uh so just what is kind of your perspective on having more of a mentoring role this time around? um you know just honestly I can just be me. Uh I don’t really know how to do anything else. So uh come here and and just be the person that I’ve always been. Um and again try to not just help out as much as possible but but try to win. Um obviously again with the organization and the coaching staff, they have a great coaching staff who have done a lot and hall of fame coach and chanty. Um, but I think as a current player who who’s won kind of been through the struggle not too long ago to win the championship. Um, I still have that feeling and that itch. So, uh, I’m kind of closer to, uh, what that feeling is like and how hard it is to actually win. Just a couple more, y’all. You have a lot of time to figure this out, but just, uh, based upon what you’ve seen, how do you think you and Scoot can complement each other? Uh, Scoot is aggressive and how he gets to the basket is is amazing. Um, I think that, uh, me being able to space the floor and and shoot the three is something that would help him out. Um, and I know he’s been, uh, shooting the ball better and he’s been in the gym and working. Um, but I think for me, just being able to play off him, knowing that Scoot is, uh, kind of the next one up and and to be able to go out here and really just showcase what he can do. Any other former Blazers you’d like to uh, see come back? Uh, LaMarcus Aldridge. No, I mean, honestly, it’s been it’s been cool growing up a Laker fan because I’ve also watched the uh Portland Trails Blazers, but um again, I think right now our current team I’m really excited to to play with and to get started. Thanks, my wife would win that bad.

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