Jrue Holiday is "excited" to play his first game of the season on Friday after the birth of his first child and his wife's subsequent surgery to remove a benign tumor from the right side of her brain.

Holiday was on family leave until his wife's recovery was far enough along that both felt comfortable with his return to the New Orleans Pelicans.

Holiday was asked why he's returning now.

"Because my wife said I could," said Holiday.

"It was really just to see where my wife was in her recovery. And since she's doing so well, and since my daughter's getting bigger, and since my family and her family are there to help her out with anything ... I just feel comfortable being back and being able to leave them, if it's on a road trip or whatever it is.

"As hard as it is, again, I'm really excited."

The Holidays found out about Lauren's condition this summer. They relocated to the Raleigh, North Carolina, area, near the Duke University medical specialists who handled the surgery.

Holiday said the Pelicans, from whom he has received constant communication and support, have been open to his taking a day off should he need it.

"I'm so excited," Holiday said of his season debut. "At the end of it my teammates are always there for me. My teammates and the Pelicans were always there. To come back and fight for them like they supported me, I'm happy to do it."