Jrue Holiday doesn't take bait, agrees Jaylen Brown is Boston Celtics' best player

Jrue Holiday didn't take Jason Kidd's bait, acknowledging that Jaylen Brown has in fact been the team's best player and so calmly answering the question without missing a beat and riding the positivity train.

"This is the first I'm hearing it, but I don't think he's lying," Holiday said of Kidd's comment (h/t FanNation). "I think JB has been aggressive in every single way, he's been getting to the paint, getting to the free throw line, also making plays for other people. And then, he's guarding Luka. He's guarding the best player."

Kidd gave a "well..." and took his shot perceived shot at Tatum.

"Well, Jaylen's their best player," Kidd prefaced before saying, "Just looking at what he does defensively, he picked up Luka full-court, he got to the free throw line. He did everything, and that's what your best player does."

Jrue Holiday showing how deep leadership goes during Boston Celtics playoff run

Holiday reliably stepped up as the Celtics' third-best player during their current playoff run. His Mona Lisa in 2024 was his 28-point, eight-assist, seven-rebound, three-steal masterpiece in Game 1 in a 133-128 overtime victory over the Indiana Pacers.

His most important function shined through in his endorsement of Brown after Kidd tried to plant metaphorical mines in the C's locker room. Holiday is a leader, and there will be no "gotchas" on his watch.

Or losses. His presence on the Celtics is coinciding with a lot of wins in dominant series wins against admittedly depleted Miami Heat and Cleveland Cavaliers teams. There's not much that can take away from the Pacers series, to be clear.

Holiday will be a Celtic for a long time with his four-year extension, so it's a good thing he's such a good fit. There's not a better mediator for the teams' two stars, and there's nearly no one who instills as much of a defensive doggedness -- as Paul George has admitted -- as much as No. 4.