Re-live the top All-Star moments in Celtics history as Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum take part
Celtics players have won the 3-point contest and the Slam Dunk Contest in the past.
NBA All-Star weekend is here, and the Celtics will be involved in it again.
Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum were selected to play in Sunday’s NBA All-Star Game. For Tatum, it marks the second-straight year he’ll play in one of the game’s biggest stages. For Brown though, it’s his first All-Star Game.
The All-Star Game won’t be the only thing the Celtics’ stars will be a part of. Brown and Tatum will compete in the 3-point contest, too. That will take place right before the start of Sunday’s game.
With Brown and Tatum preparing for their festivities this weekend, let’s take a look back at some of the top Celtics moments during past NBA All-Star Weekends.
Paul Pierce takes first in the 2010 3-point contest.
For Paul Pierce, the 2010 3-point was redemption for the first time he was in the competition, when he registered just eight points in 2002.
Pierce got off to a good start in the first round in 2010, scoring 17 points, enough to advance to the final round along with Chauncey Billups and Steph Curry. Pierce went first in the final round, making eight of his first 10 shots, scoring a 20 on the round, which ended up being too much for Billups and Curry.
Pierce returned to the competition in 2011, looking to defend his title. He and teammate Ray Allen both advanced to the final round. However, both fell to Heat forward James Jones, who scored 20 points in the final round. Pierce had 18 while Allen had 15.
Gerald Green wins the 2007 Slam Dunk Contest.
Ever since Gerald Green entered the NBA in 2005, he was primed to be a contestant in the Slam Dunk Contest. He got his chance in 2007.
In his first dunk, Green got an assist from Pierce, who tossed the ball off the side of the backboard. Green caught the ball while jumping, doing a windmill move before completing the dunk. The judges gave him a 48.
Green’s second dunk paid homage to former Celtics Dee Brown (more on him in a moment). Green ripped off his jersey, revealing Brown’s jersey. He then took off for a dunk, jumping over fellow contestant Nate Robinson, and covered his eyes with his left arm while in mid-air.
In the final round, Green got another assist from Pierce, catching a lob Pierce threw from behind the backboard, and in his final dunk he jumped over a table and did a windmill before throwing it down. The judges gave him a 50 for his last dunk, more than enough to defeat Robinson. Green’s win in the Dunk Contest that year was one of the lone highlights for the 2006-07 Celtics.
Green returned to defend his title in 2008 as a member of the Timberwolves. He advanced to the final round after blowing out the candle on a cupcake in one of his first-round dunks. However, Magic center Dwight Howard won the fan vote.
Jayson Tatum prevails in the 2019 Skills Challenge.
As mentioned earlier, Tatum is set to play in his second All-Star Game this weekend, and he’s had some All-Star moments before.
Tatum made his All-Star Weekend appearance in 2018, playing in the Rising Stars Game as a rookie. He played in the same game again in 2019, and while he was there, he also took part in the Skills Challenge.
In the first round, Tatum took down Grizzlies guard Mike Conley. In the next round, he took down Nuggets big man Nikola Jokic, draining a 3-pointer to win after Jokic had shot a pair.
Tatum slipped behind Hawks guard Trae Young in the final round. Young advanced up to the 3-point line to shoot for the title while Tatum was still on the other side of the court. Thinking he needed a miracle, Tatum heaved a shot from mid-court and actually nailed it to win the challenge.
Tatum returned to the Skills Challenge in 2020 to defend his title. However, he fell to Pacers forward Domantas Sabonis in the first round.
Jaylen Brown scores 35 points in Rising Stars game.
Like Tatum, this weekend isn’t Brown’s first rodeo with All-Star Weekend. After not being named to the Team USA roster for the Rising Stars game as a rookie, Brown earned a spot on the roster in his sophomore season.
Brown left his mark in that game, scoring a game-high 35 points and saving his best for last. In the closing seconds, Brown soared for a dunk, moving the ball through his legs before finishing it with his weak hand.
Larry Bird shines in the 1988 3-point contest.
When the 3-point contest first began in 1986, Larry Bird was one of the players selected to participate in the inaugural competition. Bird proved his mark of being one of the game’s top shooters, winning the title that year and again in 1987.
Bird returned to the competition in 1988 to go for the three-peat. In the head-to-head opening round, Bird knocked off Mavericks star Detlef Schrempf. He easily moved to the final round after scoring 23 points in the second round.
However, Bird got off to a slow start in the final, scoring just seven points on the first three racks, on pace to fall short of SuperSonics star Dale Ellis’ 15 points. Bird turned it around on the fourth rack, making all five shots. After missing the first two shots on the final rack, Bird made the next two, tying Ellis. As he put up the final shot, Bird walked away, putting up a celebratory No. 1 finger. The shot fell, and he completed the three-peat.
On top of that, Bird did it all while wearing his warm-up jacket.
Dee Brown wins the 1991 Slam Dunk Contest.
As a rookie, Dee Brown earned an invite to the dunk contest.
The Celtics guard, standing at 6-foot-1, opened his evening by pumping up his Reebok Pump shoes before tossing the ball up in the air, catching it, and throwing down a reverse dunk. His 48.2 score for that dunk and the 44.2 score his next dunk advanced him to the second round.
In his first dunk of the second round, Brown did a windmill mid-air before dunking. Magic Johnson said it was a “Dominique (Wilkins) dunk,” and Brown received a 49.6 score, tied for his highest score of the night. Brown scored 48.4 on his next dunk, advancing him to the final round.
To open up the final round, Brown once again pumped up his shoes ran to the basket, dunked the ball in his hand first before dunking the ball he placed on the back of the rim. In his final dunk, Brown jumped up and covered his eyes with his right arm as he threw it down. The judges gave him a 49.6, enough to give him the win over SuperSonics star Shawn Kemp.
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