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INDIANAPOLIS – Aaron Holiday might have been the last man in the green room during the 2018 NBA Draft, but he had quite the support system around him.

At one seat was his brother Jrue, an NBA All-Star and one of the league’s best defenders.

At another seat was Justin, another brother of Aaron’s, who despite being undrafted in 2011 has carved out an NBA career with 5 different teams.

Holiday has seen the business side of the NBA before. Now it was his turn to experience it before a lifelong dream became a reality.

That happened when the Indiana Pacers selected Holiday with the 23rd pick.

As an obvious avid NBA-watcher, Holiday has a pretty accurate scouting report about the team he is now joining.

“It’s a very good team,” Holiday says of the Pacers. “They pushed the Cavs to 7 games and had a very good chance of winning that game. A lot of young talent on this team and I’m just ready to be on it.”

That young talent includes Victor Oladipo, who the Pacers had in mind when selecting Holiday. At UCLA, Holiday was a very efficient catch and shoot option, something that will help keep the floor spread for the Pacers when Oladipo is creating off the dribble.

“I remember when he was at Indiana (University) and how good he was, how athletic and just the energy he played with,” Holiday says of Oladipo. “I feel like we can play well with each other at the same time. He’s a very, very good talent. I’m excited to learn from him.”

The learning for Holiday has already come at an NBA-level, thanks to his two older brothers.

Even though Aaron is 7 and 8 years younger than Jrue and Justin, respectively, the brotherly relationship has offered a great real-life introduction to the NBA.

“Just watching their work ethic, seeing everything they go through with the ups and the downs of the season, knowing how it feels and everything like that helps me out a lot,” Aaron says. “Playing against them really gave me the confidence to push forward and have the toughness that I needed. They’ve helped me every way I can imagine.”

At Holiday’s introductory press conference last Friday, it was his first time in the state of Indiana.

Fans in the basketball hotbed of Indiana should expect an accurate three-point shooter and a pesky defender in Holiday.

“I feel like those two things I can bring right away,” Holiday says.

If Holiday is able to do that, this family lineage in the NBA is going to hang around for quite a few more years.

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