Portland Trail Blazers guard Jrue Holiday sat down with RG’s DJ Siddiqi to discuss the upcoming season with his new team and his expectations for the year.
Portland acquired Holiday over the summer in exchange
for guard Anfernee Simons. The veteran guard now seems poised for a mentorship role for one of the NBA’s youngest teams. However, that doesn’t mean Holiday isn’t looking to win at his new destination.
“Goal is to win, says Holiday in a one-on-one interview with RG. “The goal is to win and to make some noise. I think that after the last few years of what has happened after Damian Lillard being traded — and then now Dame’s back — I think it’s an exciting time here in Portland. It’s an exciting time to be a Trail Blazer, and I’m excited to be part of it.”
… “I feel like winning and competing and showing these guys that have so much talent,” says Holiday of the Blazers. “I don’t think y’all understand like Scoot [Henderson] and Shaedon [Sharpe] are so athletic and so smart the way that they play the game. They’re going to be so good, and I feel like all they need is time. I feel like the time is now, because they have all the tools. I’m super excited to play with them.”
On the topic of new teammates, Holiday also shared details about discussions he had with Lillard after the Blazers legend re-signed with Portland in July.
“Just chopping it up,” says Holiday of his talks with Lillard since joining Portland. “We’ve known each other for a long time now, but even when he first re-signed with the team, him texting me, ‘Man, we really got a chance to be good.’”
Additionally, Holiday said retirement isn’t something he is considering yet at this stage of his career. The 35-year-old veteran has three years remaining on his contract, with a player option for the final season in 2027-28.
You can read the full article from RG here.
