Jrue Holiday is making his return to the New Orleans Pelicans after taking a three-month absence to take care of his sick wife.
Jrue Holiday will begin his fourth season with New Orleans Pelicans on Friday against the Portland Trail Blazers. He took an indefinite leave in September after his wife gave birth to their daughter and underwent surgery just one month later to remove a benign tumor from the right side of her brain.
Jrue Holiday on his first day back with the Pelicans after three months away. pic.twitter.com/6zRwdaYsKk
— Justin Verrier (@JustinVerrier) November 17, 2016
Holiday’s wife Lauren is a star athlete in her right. She was an All-American at UCLA and a member of the United States women’s national soccer team from 2007-2015.
Holiday spoke to ESPN.com about how happy he was to return to his teammates.
“I’m so excited,” Holiday said of his season debut. “At the end of it my teammates are always there for me. My teammates and the Pelicans were always there. To come back and fight for them like they supported me, I’m happy to do it.”
The point guard’s return to the Pels lineup is a huge boost to their terrible start. New Orleans (2-10) have the NBA’s most losses, so they’re in need of a spark. Especially Anthony Davis. He’s been one of the league’s best players, but it’s meant nothing.
Jrue Holiday: "My teammates and the Pelicans were always there. To come back and fight for them, like they supported me, I’m happy to do it"
— Jim Eichenhofer (@Jim_Eichenhofer) November 17, 2016
Davis has scored an incredible 30.5 points per game so far, but New Orleans’ second-leading scorer (E’Twaun Moore) is putting up just 12.6.
Holiday probably won’t slide into his starting role right away, but the hope in New Orleans is that he can give Davis the help he desperately needs.