Former NBA champ claims Giannis Antetokounmpo & Bucks 'losing sleep' over Jrue Holiday's stellar performance in NBA Finals

The Milwaukee Bucks traded Jrue Holiday and brought Damian Lillard to the Bucks hoping to win the title. However, since Holiday has landed in Boston, his presence on the Boston Celtics and absence on the Bucks is as clear as day and night. Former NBA player Kendrick Perkins thinks the Bucks are now losing sleep over Holdiday’s performance in the NBA Finals.

Perkins appeared in a segment of “Get Up” on ESPN. While giving the Celtics all the props for the Game 2 win against the Mavericks, the NBA champion also gave major props to Holiday, the star of Game 2. Alluding to the Bucks trading Holiday, Perkins said that the Bucks must regret trading Jrue Holiday.

“Giannis and the Milwaukee Bucks, they are losing sleep right now. They gave up on Jrue Holiday and felt like they got to get better and all of a sudden he is with the Celtics that’s making it happen,” Perkins said.

Jrue Holiday was first traded to the Portland Trail Blazers in a three-team trade involving Deandre Ayton and Toumani Camara, sending Lillard to the Bucks. Four days later, he was traded to the Celtics for Malcolm Brogdon, Robert Williams III, and two first-round picks.

Fast forward nine months, Holiday is in the NBA Finals for the second time in his career, on the verge of winning his second title. However, Giannis and the Bucks had a disappointing season with a first-round exit against the Indiana Pacers.

Jrue Holiday was “shocked” after getting traded from Bucks

After a win and a stellar performance in Game 2 of the 2024 NBA Finals, Jrue Holiday spoke to The Athletic about his trade from the Bucks. Holiday was one of the biggest factors that led to the Bucks winning the title in 2021. Getting trade wasn’t something that Holiday was expecting.

The Celtics star said that when he heard the news of him getting traded from Milwaukee, he was shocked because it was sudden and without any prior discussions. However, the two-time Teammate of the Year said that his feelings weren’t hurt.

“I’m close to Jon,” Holiday said. “Obviously, we’ve been through a lot, and we’ve won together. But I’ve never really been the type to get my feelings hurt. I would even tell you that on this trade, my feelings weren’t hurt.

“I can’t speak for my wife and my kids, but it was a shock. It was a shock, right? You’re waking up out of a nap and getting a call and five minutes later, you’re going somewhere else. Would it have been nice to know, maybe like a day ahead? Yeah, but I understand Jon’s point of view, 100 percent. It’s not an easy thing to do.”

Holiday has dropped a total of 38 points with 0 turnovers in the last two games. He is the only player since Michael Jordan in 1998 to do so in the NBA Finals. In Game 2 against the Dallas Mavericks on Monday, Holiday dropped 26 points while shooting 11 of 14 shots from the field.