On April 12, Beijing time, the Celtics officially announced an early contract extension with Holiday . According to previous reports, Holiday signed a four-year, $135 million contract with the Green Army. Officially, Holiday arrived in Boston in early October last year knowing it was a place he wanted to stay for a long time. It was a shared feeling between him and Celtic, so when it came time to consider a contract extension, both parties did not hesitate to make the decision.
On Thursday afternoon local time, Holiday officially signed a new contract with the team, cementing his commitment to the Celtics and the team's commitment to him. In an official statement, Stevens praised him as the most accomplished player, a great teammate and contender, and a willingness to take on challenges at any time.
"Since I've been here, it's been love," Holiday said after shooting practice at the Auerbach Center, "The City of Boston, not just them, but the whole team, made it very easy for my family to get through a period that was a little stressful for us, so I want to thank them. We love this city, we love this team, we love the players in it, we love what they stand for, and we're doing our best to get another flag. ”
Holiday is most concerned about winning at the moment in his career, and he believes that being with the Celtics gives him the best chance to achieve that. If you look at his first regular season with the team, his instincts seem to be correct.
"Ever since I came here, or even when I knew I was going to be traded here, that's what I wanted, part of what I envisioned," Holiday said of his 62-game roster. "Being on a great team, being here for a long time and being able to play with guys like Tatum and Brown and really trying to win more championships. ”
In his first season with the team, Holiday averaged 12.5 points, 5.4 rebounds and 4.9 assists per game while shooting 48.1 percent from the field and 43.1 percent from three-point range. His scoring and assists are down from when he was with the Milwaukee Bucks, but his rebounding and three-point shooting are both career-high.
The changes show that Holiday is willing to adapt to what the team needs him to do on any given night, and that he enjoys playing the role of a versatile player. In addition, the five-time All-Defensive Team selection remains one of the best outside defenders in the league.
"I really just just be myself," he said. "Be the guy the team needs. Sometimes I score a lot, but sometimes I have to defend and steal — or I guess every day — but there may be times when I just have to hit a three-pointer in the bottom corner. ”
Most importantly, Holiday trusts Joe Mazzulla to help him grow in a new way – even though he's 33 years old.
"Joe has really improved my game and my vision and perspective on basketball," Holiday said. 'Every year, I want to grow, but I think [he] is able to give me different responsibilities and look at the game differently – especially with our players and people, I've never played in a team like this. So it was interesting to get to know Joe and his crazy plans, but at the same time, to really see our team put it all together. ”
In the end, Holiday wants it all to come together in a title fight – not just once.
"I want to come here," he affirmed. "I want to win multiple rings. I've heard people say that many times here, so I'm ready for it. ”