The Boston Celtics took a big step toward going on another title run with a dominant 103-86 victory over the Orlando Magic in Game 1 on Sunday. It was the type of performance the defending NBA Champions needed to send a message to the rest of the league, proving that they're more than ready for another long postseason.
Even though the Celtics haven't played since the series opener, the good vibes haven't stopped coming. It was announced on Tuesday that sharpshooting phenom Payton Pritchard won the 2024-25 NBA Sixth Man of the Year award, and the league followed that up with another huge Boston-related announcement less than 24 hours later.
Celtics' Jrue Holiday Named Finalist for NBA Social Justice Champion Award
Just hours before Game 2 on Wednesday, the NBA announced that Jrue Holiday is a finalist for the 2025 NBA Social Justice Champion award. The other finalists include the Miami Heat's Bam Adebayo, San Antonio Spurs' Harrison Barnes, Toronto Raptors' Chris Boucher, and New Orleans Pelicans' CJ McCollum.
The award's recipient will be announced during the postseason, and the winner will receive $100,000 to donate to a social justice cause of their choosing.
"The recipient of the annual award receives the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar trophy and recognizes a current NBA player for pursuing social justice and advancing Abdul-Jabbar’s life mission to engage, empower and drive equality for individuals and groups who have been historically disadvantaged."NBA on the Social Justice Champion award
Holiday, 34, has made a positive impact in the Boston community despite only joining the Celtics two years ago. He started the "Jrue and Lauren Holiday Social Impact Fund" with his wife, and the pair has since launched the "Boston Creator Incubator + Accelerator" to help local entrepreneurs and creators achieve their goals.
The JLH Fund's impact isn't limited to Boston, though. The foundation provided "resources to support families affected by the 2025 Los Angeles wildfires."
That's without mentioning how Holiday is also on the National Basketball Social Justice Coalition board, helping to ensure that the NBA is at the forefront of all discussions involving racial and social justice.
In other words, Holiday has done a tremendous job of establishing himself as a leader not only in Boston but across the country. That's the type of veteran head coach Joe Mazzulla's values in the locker room, regardless of the veteran guard's on-court performance.
Hopefully, the positive spring vibes continue, and Holiday can bring more good news to Boston in the form of the second of back-to-back championships. Fortunately, the Celtics currently own the second-best 2025 NBA Finals odds (+190) on FanDuel Sportsbook as the opening series against the Magic continues.
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