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Playing for the Philadelphia 76ers is not for the faint-hearted, and Milwaukee Bucks guard Jrue Holiday has confirmed it.
Many have been on the receiving end of the brutality the Philly fanbase could deliver, especially to opposition players. However, an underperforming player wearing a Sixers uniform also gets a lot of stick, with Ben Simmons being the standout example.
Simmons' choking in the 2021 Eastern Conference semifinals resulted in fans turning on him. It ultimately resulted in him not playing a single game for the Sixers moving forward and demanding a trade.
Holiday, on the newly-released episode of the Point Forward podcast, talked about how it feels to play in Philly. The three-time All-Defensive team member relived a moment when he solicited on behalf of a fan who was jeering at him.
"Playing in Philly ain't no joke, bro. When we played Philly the last time in Philly, some dude got kicked out for talking trash to me, and I'm like, 'Naah keep him in'. I grew up here. But it was lit though, it was like nostalgia."
The Sixers selected Jrue Holiday with the 17th pick in the 2009 NBA draft. He played the first four years of his career in Philly, which is one of the reasons it always feels like home to him.
Jrue Holiday will have to step up for Milwaukee Bucks in Eastern Conference semifinals
The Bucks will take on the Boston Celtics later tonight in the first game of their second-round tie of the 2022 playoffs. While Giannis Antetokounmpo will be looked to for production, other players on the team will have to step up, including Jrue Holiday.
Khris Middleton's absence is another factor that has created a need for Holiday to play a lot better for the Bucks. Playing without Middleton, who hurt his knee in Game 2 against the Chicago Bulls in the first round, will undoubtedly affect the Bucks' performance moving forward.
Boston has one of the best defenses in the league, and they have shown how effective they are in scoring the basket. Their defensive prowess was on full display when they shut down the Brooklyn Nets' dynamic duo of Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving in the first round.
The Celtics significantly limited their production in the four-game series. It is safe to say that their defense won them the series because it is difficult to imagine the Celtics outscoring KD and Irving if they were allowed to get into their rhythm.
The Celtics are expected to try something similar while defending Giannis Antetokounmpo. While it will not be as easy as it was with Durant because of Giannis' physicality, they will surely make things a tad difficult for the NBA Finals' reigning MVP.
That is where Jrue Holiday, Bobby Portis, Pat Connaughton, and Brook Lopez need to step into the picture.
If they successfully defeat the Celtics, there is a chance that Holiday will once again return to Wells Fargo Arena to play against his former team. However, that also depends on how the Sixers perform against the Miami Heat.
We will get a sneak peek into how that series will go as they tip-off for Game 1 on Monday night. Without Joel Embiid, who has been diagnosed with a right orbital fracture, it will undoubtedly be a more challenging series for the Sixers.
Guess the Lakers players!
