Jrue Holiday and the Boston Celtics are off to a sensational start after winning the NBA Finals last season.

The Celtics have looked every bit the team that won the championship during the early portion of this season, starting out the year 11-3 without star big man Kristaps Porzingis.

Boston has the second-best record in the Eastern Conference, behind only the undefeated 15-0 Cleveland Cavaliers. While the Celtics have their biggest matchup to date scheduled against the Cavaliers at TD Garden on Tuesday, no one is doubting that Boston is still the team to beat by the time the playoffs start.

Holiday, a two-time defending champion who previously won a title with the Bucks, details the “challenge” of being the defending champs with a target on your back.

“I think some of the challenges are sometimes as the champ, you just want to get to the playoffs,” says Holiday. “Going through the season, being consistent, going through hardship during the season, where you might feel gassed or tired because you played late to June and you have a short break. Sometimes you don’t want to pay attention to the details. I feel like those are the things that we try to execute every day is paying attention to the details.

“Every game is important, no matter who we’re playing, because every game can be a lesson, wins or losses,” Holiday continues to say. “I think that’s probably one of the biggest things in trying to repeat back to back. Obviously, not everybody sees that there’s a target on their back, but we want to be the ones who want to be the ones who are aggressive and let people know that. Let people know the reason why we’re the champs.”

It’s not easy repeating as champs. In fact, it hasn’t been done since the 2016-17 and 2017-18 Golden State Warriors accomplished the feat. Last year’s defending champs, the Denver Nuggets, were eliminated in the semifinals. Meanwhile, Holiday’s championship team, the Bucks, were also eliminated in the semifinals during the following season.

The 34-year-old Holiday — who played key starting roles on both teams — explains the difference between his first one with the Bucks in 2021 compared to his most recent one with the Celtics in 2024.

“I think your first time is always your first time, not really knowing what to expect, not really knowing how to get there,” says Holiday. “I think for my second time, I had a better feel of what it takes, how hard it is and it was also different — because I did it with two different teams, two different personalities and different characteristics, different players, two different cities. So there’s a lot of differences, but I think one of the biggest ones is really just that it’s hard and sometimes you have to do whatever it takes to win.”

Both title chase were obviously different, with the Celtics finally getting over the hump after many years of coming up just short of winning it all during the Jayson Tatum/Jaylen Brown era, including losing the 2022 Finals to the Warriors. On the other hand, the Bucks were not the clear-cut favorites to win it all when they won the championship in 2021.

Holiday didn’t clearly say which title win was sweeter, but did stress that they felt different.

“Again, they’re both different,” says Holiday of his two championship wins. “The first one, the first one is your first one. You don’t really know what to expect, especially going in, but they were both different. This last one was sweet, especially with the history behind it.”

The 16th-year guard explains the pressure that came with arriving in Boston just prior to the start of the 2023-24 season.

“History being a Celtic and what that means, the pressure that comes with that, from Day 1 when I got here, all people kept talking about was Banner 18,” says Holiday of winning a title with the Celtics in his first year. “Literally from the first day I got here. That was the goal. There’s a lot of pressure with that. It wasn’t just the organization, it was the city, it was the media, it was everybody. So much pressure and so much expectation for us to win because of the talent we had.

“When I was in Milwaukee, I’m not sure people expected us to win, but they knew we had a chance to win,” says Holiday of his title win with the Bucks. “I think having those two different challenges were good for me and my development as a basketball player, but especially on my way to winning two championships.”

While Holiday is obviously busy trying to win back-to-back titles for the first time in his career, he is releasing a new eyewear collection with Zenni Optical. Holiday’s first release with the eyewear brand will see 90-plus different designs and can be bought on the company’s website.

“They’ve done a great job in the community around Boston,” says Holiday of Zenni Optical, who has been partnered with the team since 2023. “They sponsor our team as well, so there’s that bit of connection. I think one of the biggest things that attracted me to them was what they do in the community, how their frames and glasses are so affordable, but also very stylish and cool.”

Holiday — who says his favorite colors are black and blue — details his style and preference when it comes to his eyewear.

“It’s something kind of cool and casual,” says Holiday of his style. “I wouldn’t say it’s too preppy, but something that’s kind of simple, yet elevates your outfit. I’m usually not the flashy person, but I like eyewear that gives you confidence. It gives you confidence when you walk into a room, to walk down that runway, going into the arena and feeling good about yourself. When you feel good, you look good and you play good.”