New Orleans Pelicans point guard Jrue Holiday will miss the start of the season to care for his pregnant wife Lauren, who needs to have brain surgery to remove a tumor that was recently discovered. The news was reported Sunday morning in a story on NOLA.com.
"My family comes before basketball," Holiday told NOLA.com. "I'm obviously blessed to play this game and be in the position I am in, but my wife is the most important thing in the world to me. She comes before anything else."
Lauren, 28, recently retired as a professional soccer player. She won two Olympic gold medals and was widely considered one of the top players in the world. Lauren and Jrue met while both were students at UCLA.
According to the story on NOLA.com, the surgery won't be performed until after Lauren has the baby, which could be later this month or in early October. The tumor is not considered a threat to the health of the child and Lauren is expected to make a full recovery.
NOLA.com reported that Pelicans General Manager Dell Demps and Coach Alvin Gentry met with Holiday and his agent, Jason Glushon, in early August.
"The most important thing for Jrue to do right now is be with his wife and family," Gentry said in a statement released to NOLA.com. "Every one of our coaches and players understands what Lauren and Jrue are going through, and they know we're behind them 100 percent.
"We'll continue to do everything we can to support them and help them get through these hard times."
Demps released this statement to NOLA.com:
"We encourage Jrue to take as much time as he needs to be with his wife and family before returning to the Pelicans. Mr. and Mrs. (Tom) Benson's top priority is the health and wellness of the people in the organization.
"We understand that Jrue will miss some games, and his teammates are prepared to step up in his absence. We will welcome Jrue back with open arms when he is ready to return to the team."
"The Pelicans have been great," Holiday told NOLA.com. "There wasn't any pressure to be with the team or to choose between my team and my wife. They told me to be a husband first. I don't think they know how much their support means to me and my family."