Jrue Holiday opens up about what it was like guarding Jimmy Butler during the Bucks’ first round loss to the Heat.
While speaking with Ros Gold-Onwude on her podcast, Sideline Stroll with Ros, Holiday divulged that it was “fun” going against Butler. As a competitor, the All-Star believes that going against the best is why he plays. However, during the series, Holiday remembers being at the mercy of Butler.
Additionally, the Heat star was trash-talking Holiday, exacerbating the whole situation.
“How I look back on it now, it was fun,” Holiday said. “I play the game to go against the best players. I play defense to go against the best players, no matter the position or whatever it may be.
While I was in it, I was hot. I’m getting my ass busted. And then he started talking sh*t, I think the last game or something like that. And it’s like, yeah, that’s what competitors do and Jimmy is the ultimate competitor. But you hate losing. I hate losing.”
When asked if he would change anything about the way he defended Butler, Holiday humbly surmised that there was nothing anyone could’ve done to stifle him. The 32-year-old simply extolled Butler for “playing at a different level.”
“I made the decision that I made in that moment, or in those moments, and I stuck with them, and stuck with my guns,” Holiday added. “A lot of plays Jimmy made, there was nothing that I could do. There’s nothing that anybody could do. It didn’t matter if it was Brook on him, if it was LeBron James or Michael Jordan on him. It didn’t matter who was on him. Jimmy was playing at a different level.”
The Bucks lost in five games to the Heat in the first round. Furthermore, Butler averaged 37.6 points, 6.0 rebounds and 4.8 assists for the series. He also scored a scintillating 56 points in Game 4 to push Milwaukee to the brink of elimination.
