Exclusive: Celtics Standout Guard Jrue Holiday Joins Toucher & Hardy

On Thursday's edition of Toucher and Hardy, Celtics guard Jrue Holiday stopped by during Celtics media day and joined the show. Holiday discussed his time in Europe for the Olympics, the shortened offseason, and the mentality that is surrounding the Celtics as they attempt to win a second consecutive championship.

Wallach: Couple of boring basketball questions is going to be real tough to follow just because just because you are wearing a Celtics uniform while we're sitting here.

Jrue Holiday: True.

Wallach: You played basketball deep into the summer. You played all the way through the finals and then you immediately go to Abu Dhabi, London, and Paris. Obviously all of your rest was pushed back. Does that affect you at all now that all of a sudden the season is upon us and you're actually going back to Abu Dhabi next week?

Jrue Holiday: Yeah, I wouldn't say that it affects me because I feel like I do a good job of taking care of my body. I've been playing for a minute and obviously having a break is super important. Getting back right mentally is super important. Getting to spend time with my family is super important. But my family came to Abu Dhabi, London, and Paris, so I got to spend 31 days and my kids in those hotel rooms. I got a little bit of a break in between.

Hardy: Was it cool, 31 days in a hotel room with your kids? Because that's a long time in a hotel room with kids.

Wallach: I will spend a week with my kids in a hotel room. It's not cool at all.

Jrue Holiday: I'm not going to lie. It was really cool. My kids did a great job traveling. There's a lot to do in Abu Dhabi, especially for kids, so that was cool. We went to like SeaWorld. We ended up going to Dubai for a couple of days, wen to the Burj Khalifa which is the tallest building. London was awesome. We got to walk around and take the tube. Besides the fact that me, Jayson and Derrick had to take the tube to the game one time. Did you guys hear about that?

Wallach: No.

Jrue Holiday: Okay. Well were kind of running late for the game because it's so much traffic and we had to go to the tube and ended up taking the tube with the fans. Like people were literally walking with us and filming. We kind of walked in together to the game we had like 20 minutes to get ready.

Hardy: They must have thought it was like a joke.

Wallach: Last boring basketball question, Joe Mazzulla is all about attacking instead of defending your championship. Saying you know, everyone wants to win. You know something about defending a championship, and how does this attitude kind of link up with the last time you won one of these?

Jrue Holiday: Yeah, I think it's having that mentality of just being hungry for more. being hungry for another championship. I think we had it last year and we kind of know what that feeling is like. It's slightly different because teams are different. Our team is slightly different, but teams have gotten better. People probably look at us differently. Some people probably look at us the same because last year I felt like teams saw us at the top of the mountain where we were the team to beat. But for us, I think the concentration is going to be the same. I think we're going to go through diversity together. We're going to go through good times together, and as long as we stay healthy, I think we'll be alright.

After an early preview gave us an update on four of the games on the Celtics' schedule for next season, Thursday came with the rest of the Green's 2024-25 released by the NBA.

Back on top of the NBA world with a five-game NBA Finals series victory over the Mavs' one-two punch of Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving, the Celtics' pursuit of Banner 19 will kick off with a banner-raising night against the Knicks on Oct. 22, while the year as a whole will see them look to become the first NBA team to go back-to-back since the Warriors accomplished the feat in 2017 and 2018. And the Celtics, for what it's worth, have not repeated as NBA champions since back-to-back titles in 1968 and 1969.

And for the second year in a row, the NBA will have their in-season tournament (the NBA Cup), with the Celtics slotted in East Group C, which is comprised of the Atlanta Hawks, Chicago Bulls, Cleveland Cavaliers, and Washington Wizards. The C's will play four designated Group Play games that will be held on “Cup Nights” every Tuesday and Friday from Nov. 12 through Dec. 3, with one game against each opponent, two games at home and two on the road. Boston will host the Hawks on Nov. 12, and the Cavs on Nov. 19, and play the Wizards in Washington on Nov. 22, and the Bulls in Chicago on Nov. 29.

The team with the best standing in Group Play games from each of the six groups will advance to the Knockout Rounds. One wild card team from each conference (the second-place finisher with the best record in Group Play games) will also advance and complete the eight-team Tournament bracket.  

The complete schedule can be found below, with all times listed in EST, and all games available to be heard on the Celtics Radio Network...

Oct. 22 vs. Knicks (7:30 p.m.)

Oct. 24 @ Washington (7:00 p.m.)

Oct. 26 @ Detroit (7:00 p.m.)

Oct. 28 vs. Bucks (7:30 p.m.)

Oct. 30 @ Indiana (7:00 p.m.)

Nov. 1 @ Charlotte (7:00 p.m.)

Nov. 2 @ Charlotte (6:00 p.m.)

Nov. 4 @ Atlanta (7:45 p.m.)

Nov. 6 vs. Warriors (7:30 p.m.)

Nov. 8 vs. Nets (7:30 p.m.)

Nov. 10 @ Milwaukee (3:30 p.m.)

Nov. 12 vs. Hawks (7:00 p.m.)

Nov. 13 @ Brooklyn (7:30 p.m.)

Nov. 16 vs. Raptors (8:00 p.m.)

Nov. 19 vs. Cavaliers (7:00 p.m.)

Nov. 22 @ Washington (7:00 p.m.)

Nov. 24 vs. Timberwolves (3:30 p.m.)

Nov. 25 vs. Clippers (7:30 p.m.)

Nov. 29 @ Chicago (8:00 p.m.)

Dec. 1 @ Cleveland (6:00 p.m.)

Dec. 2 vs. Heat (7:30 p.m.)

Dec. 4 vs. Pistons (7:30 p.m.)

Dec. 6 vs. Bucks (7:30 p.m.)

Dec. 7 vs. Grizzlies (8:00 p.m.)

Dec. 10-17: NBA Cup tournament playoffs

Dec. 19 vs. Bulls (7:30 p.m.)

Dec. 21 @ Chicago (8:00 p.m.)

Dec. 23 @ Orlando (7:00 p.m.)

Dec. 25 vs. 76ers (5:00 p.m.)

Dec. 27 vs. Pacers (7:30 p.m.)

Dec. 29 vs. Pacers (6:00 p.m.)

Dec. 31 vs. Raptors (3:00 p.m.)

Jan. 2 @ Minnesota (7:30 p.m.)

Jan. 3 @ Houston (8:00 p.m.)

Jan. 5 @ Oklahoma City (3:30 p.m.)

Jan. 7 @ Denver (10:00 p.m.)

Jan. 10 vs. Kings (7:30 p.m.)

Jan. 12 vs. Pelicans (6:00 p.m.)

Jan. 15 @ Toronto (7:30 p.m.)

Jan. 17 vs. Magic (7:00 p.m.)

Jan. 18 vs. Hawks (7:00 p.m.)

Jan. 20 @ Golden State (5:00 p.m.)

Jan. 22 @ L.A. Clippers (10:30 p.m.)

Jan. 23 @ L.A. Lakers (10:00 p.m.)

Jan. 25 @ Dallas (5:30 p.m.)

Jan. 27 vs. Rockets (7:30 p.m.)

Jan. 29 vs. Bulls (7:30 p.m.)

Jan. 31 @ New Orleans (8:00 p.m.)

Feb. 2 @ Philadelphia (6:00 p.m.)

Feb. 4 @ Cleveland (7:00 p.m.)

Feb. 6 vs. Mavericks (7:30 p.m.)

Feb. 8 @ New York (8:30 p.m.)

Feb. 10 @ Miami (7:30 p.m.)

Feb. 12 vs. Spurs (7:00 p.m.)

Feb. 14-19: NBA All-Star Break

Feb. 20 @ Philadelphia (7:00 p.m.)

Feb. 23 vs. Knicks (1:00 p.m.)

Feb. 25 @ Toronto (7:00 p.m.)

Feb. 26 @ Detroit (7:00 p.m.)

Feb. 28 vs. Cavaliers (7:30 p.m.)

Mar. 2 vs. Nuggets (1:00 p.m.)

Mar. 5 vs. Blazers (7:00 p.m.)

Mar. 6 vs. 76ers (7:30 p.m.)

Mar. 8 vs. Lakers (8:30 p.m.)

Mar. 10 vs. Jazz (7:30 p.m.)

Mar. 12 vs. Thunder (7:30 p.m.)

Mar. 14 @ Miami (7:00 p.m.)

Mar. 15 @ Brooklyn (6:00 p.m.)

Mar. 18 vs. Nets (7:30 p.m.)

Mar. 21 @ Utah (9:30 p.m.)

Mar. 23 @ Portland (6:00 p.m.)

Mar. 24 @ Sacramento (10:00 p.m.)

Mar. 26 @ Phoenix (10:00 p.m.)

Mar. 29 @ San Antonio (8:00 p.m.)

Mar. 31 @ Memphis (8:00 p.m.)

Apr. 2 vs. Heat (7:30 p.m.)

Apr. 4 vs. Suns (7:30 p.m.)

Apr. 6 vs. Wizards (6:00 p.m.)

Apr. 8 @ New York (7:30 p.m.)

Apr. 9 @ Orlando (7:00 p.m.)

Apr. 11 vs. Hornets (7:30 p.m.)

Apr. 13 vs. Hornets (1:00 p.m.)