Jrue Holiday reached out to a beloved ex-Celtics guard before choosing the No. 4 jersey

Celtics

“Been super close with the holiday family since 2008! That’s my dawg.”

Plenty has changed for Jrue Holiday over the last month.

Not only has the All-Star guard swapped out his Bucks jersey for Celtics green (with a brief layover in Portland along the way), but Holiday is also changing up his jersey number as he lands with another top contender in the Eastern Conference.

The 33-year-old point guard wore No. 21 during his three seasons in Milwaukee — a number raised above the rafters at TD Garden in honor of Hall-of-Famer Bill Sharman.

Holiday also wore No. 11 over his first 11 NBA campaigns split between the 76ers and Pelicans, but that number is currently occupied by Boston backup guard Payton Pritchard.

Ultimately, Holiday opted to wear No. 4 with the Celtics, invoking plenty of memories for fans who saw another point guard dominate on the parquet floor in a similar jersey. 

Speaking to Gary Washburn of The Boston Globe, Holiday acknowledged that he chose No. 4 due to both he and his three siblings — as well as a tribute to former Celtics star Isaiah Thomas. 

Holiday added that he reached out to Thomas before choosing No. 4 for his new jersey. 

Thomas, who wowed Celtics fans during his three seasons with Boston, gave Holiday a shoutout on X, the platform formally known as Twitter, on Thursday afternoon.

“Been super close with the holiday family since 2008,” Thomas posted. “That’s my dawg. Go kill in that [expletive] familyyyyy lol”

Thomas still holds a special place in the hearts of many Celtics fans for his high-scoring output on the court, growth into an All-Star talent and his tenacity on a few scrappy Celtics rosters.

Holiday’s profile as a stout defensive stopper is a bit different from Thomas during his prime years in Boston.

But speaking at his introductory press conference back on Oct. 4, Holiday noted that his intensity and hustle mindset will be embraced by a fanbase like Boston’s.

“They’re a bit crazy. They get rowdy,” Holiday said of Celtics fans during his presser. “They get in your face. Definitely one of the best sixth men in the league, if not the best. I love the aggression. I love the environment.

“I think they care more about hard work on defense and getting loose balls and stuff like that over maybe windmill dunks and things of that nature. But again, that’s the type of guy I am. I’m ten toes to the ground and I’m gonna push and grind as hard as I can. So the fans are literally insane and I’m proud to be a part of that coming into this year.”