University of Georgia Athletics
Quick Chat: Jusaun Holt
January 17, 2023 | Men's Basketball, The Frierson Files
By John Frierson
Staff Writer
Jusaun Holt was cheering for the Golden State Warriors long before they rose to the top of the NBA. Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson are big reasons why, Holt said, but far from the only ones.
A 6-foot-7 guard from Tacoma, Wash., Holt grew up in the Atlanta area and attended St. Francis High School in Alpharetta, Ga., before playing his first collegiate season at Alabama. He's quickly fit right in with the Bulldogs, starting some games and coming on off the bench in others.
During a recent Quick Chat, Holt talked about his first dunk, why the Warriors are his team, watching clips on YouTube, and much more. Here's some of what he had to say:
Frierson: Do you remember your first dunk?
Holt: I actually do. I think it was the seventh-grade summer, like the end of summer going into my eighth-grade year, and I did it after a game or something. The whole gym was closing down and I just tried it, and I got it in there. I was like, dang, I can actually dunk now.
Frierson: Is that somewhat of a life-changing moment? Are you a different player once you can dunk the ball?
Holt: It definitely does unlock something. I feel like it makes me want to try to go harder to try more things and try to do more new things. It definitely unlocks a lot of things.
Frierson: Did you play a bunch of different sports when you were young?
Holt: My mom put me in everything, pretty much. I played baseball, football and basketball, mainly. Throughout the years, though, I stuck with football and basketball, and I was actually pretty good at football, too. I just chose basketball because that was the sport I liked more.
Frierson: When you think of home, do you think of Tacoma or the Atlanta area?
Holt: I was actually born in Tacoma, and then I moved to Atlanta at a young age and pretty much grew up there, so I would say I'm from both areas.
Frierson: Were you a big Hawks fan growing up or did you have another NBA team that you liked?
Holt: I'm all Golden State, and I'm not a bandwagon guy, either. I've been a fan of them since like 2011. I like how they play, how fast they play, how they shoot a lot of 3s. I've always been a fan of Steph, also, but that isn't the only thing. I used to really enjoy watching them play the Trailblazers in a (playoff) series and stuff. Golden State's always been my team.
Frierson: Do you go on YouTube and watch a lot of clips of Steph or other players past and present?
Holt: I've definitely looked and seen those types of videos. I watch Klay (Thompson) more than Steph, actually. I try to kind of model myself after his game, seeing how he moves without the ball a lot and takes a lot of shots without dribbling. I'll watch a lot of his games.
Frierson: Who is the funniest person on the team?
Holt: I'd probably say Justin Hill or Terry Roberts — they're hilarious [laughs]. Justin's naturally funny; he's just hilarious. Everything he does, the comments he makes, is hilarious.
Frierson: When you have a team with a bunch of new guys, how do you go about building that team chemistry that you need?
Holt: We've been working out since the summer, so we've been together for a long time now, And we actually hang out together a lot after practice, the whole team, so there is a lot of team bonding going on. We're more and more together as the days go on.
Frierson: A year ago at this time, you were at Alabama, and I'm sure you were cheering for the Crimson Tide in the college football National Championship Game. Is it a little weird to be here now, cheering for Georgia as it tries to win another title?
Holt: Yeah, it is. I get a lot of hate for transferring from Alabama to here [laughs]. I still root for both teams because I still have some friends that play for Alabama and I have friends that play for Georgia now.
Frierson: If you could play with or against anyone in history, who would it be?
Holt: I would definitely want to play with Kobe (Bryant), for sure. I look up to him a lot and it would be crazy to play with him — just how he plays and how he reacts with his teammates and stuff.
Frierson: And I don't know that it would be much fun to play against him.
Holt: [Laughs] No, not at all.
Frierson: Is there one play or moment from your athletic career that stands out the most?
Holt: I don't think there's one that stands out. I think that's ahead of me. I think that's going to come in time.
(This Q&A was lightly edited for length and clarity.)
Assistant Sports Communications Director John Frierson is the staff writer for the UGA Athletic Association and curator of the ITA Men's Tennis Hall of Fame. You can find his work at: Frierson Files. He's also on Twitter: @FriersonFiles and @ITAHallofFame.
