A full-circle moment for Gerald Green, and other observations from the Big3’s visit to TD Garden
“This is where it all started.”
Gerald Green still gets flashbacks to his time as a Celtic whenever he returns to Boston. His children live in the area, so he visits often.
This particular visit was a special one. Green scored a team-high 18 points and was named MVP of the Big3 championship game as Biouvac topped 3′s Company, 50-47, Sunday for the title.
Green said there’s no place he’d rather win a title than TD Garden.
“This is where it all started,” he said. “This is the team that gave me a chance in this building. I scored my first NBA bucket in this building. So it couldn’t be any better than doing it here.”
Celtics fans may remember Green for his leaping ability. He won the NBA Slam Dunk Contest in 2007.
On Sunday, it was Green’s outside shooting that got the job done, as he nailed six 3-pointers. He felt like it was his time to shine on a championship stage.
“This is my time,” he said. “I’m built for this. I always have been. I was a kid coming from the hood, don’t know anything, had no support when I was growing up, but I was always confident in myself. I have nine fingers and I always thought I was going to be an NBA player. I’ve always had confidence.”
The championship game was the finale of a 3-on-3 tripleheader during Big 3 Championship Weekend.
Here are five more interesting things we saw during the action:
Gillie Da Kid three-peats as celebrity game MVP
Rapper Gillie Da Kid, who cohosts the podcast “Million Dollaz Worth of Game,” was named MVP of the celebrity game for the third time.
Gillie unleashed a flurry of 3-point and midrange jumpers and helped his team claim a 50-30 victory.
The back of his jersey read “Damian Gillard,” a nod to Bucks star Damian Lillard.
The celebrity game MVP trophy is shaped like a backboard with a rim attached to it.
Ty Law makes an appearance
The Hall of Fame cornerback made a brief appearance in the celebrity game.
Law wore a bucket hat during the game. Matt James, who was the lead on “The Bachelor” during Season 25, played in a hooded sweatshirt underneath his jersey.
Law isn’t the only former Patriots player to appear in the Big3 celebrity game. Rob Gronkowski played in the inaugural edition in 2022.
A smooth reverse from Flau’Jae Johnson
LSU’s Flau’Jae Johnson was one of two women competing in the celebrity game, along with former Harlem Globetrotter Briana Green.
Johnson drove past Green along the baseline and banked in a smooth reverse layup that got her teammates fired up.
The 5-foot-10-inch guard was a second-team All-SEC selection during her sophomore season last year when she helped lead LSU to the Elite Eight.
4-point shots
One of the unique aspects of Big3 play is the 4-point shot.
There are three 4-point circles 30 feet away from the rim, and a shot made with a player’s body part touching the circle is worth 4 points.
There weren’t any 4-pointers during the championship game, but there were two in the all-star game. Team BIG’s Jeremy Pargo hit one, and Team 3′s Kevin Murphy hit the other.
Video tribute for Scalabrine
There was a video tribute to NBC Sports Boston’s Brian Scalabrine on the Jumbotron.
The video featured his Celtics highlights, and Scalabrine waved to the crowd afterward.
Scalabrine played in the Big3 during the 2021 season and was captain of the Ball Hogs.
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