Boston Celtics star Jayson Tatum has made it clear that he’ll never participate in the NBA Slam Dunk Contest himself, but that doesn’t mean he won’t help out a teammate.
Fellow Celtics All-Star Jaylen Brown is officially competing in the 2024 Dunk Contest, and he may bring out Tatum during the high-profile event. After the C’s defeated the Washington Wizards 133-129 at TD Garden, Brown told the media that he’d love to have Tatum’s assistance if possible, per CelticsBlog reporter Jack Simone.
“Definitely be on the look[out] for JT to be a part of it,” Brown revealed. “If JT is available, for sure, it’d be fun.”
Luckily for Brown, Tatum said he was all for the idea on Wednesday night.
“If he asked me I’d be open to it,” he said following Boston’s 125-117 victory over the Atlanta Hawks.
Brown has never been in the Dunk Contest before, and he’s the first Celtic to participate in it since Gerald Green won the event in 2007. However, the now three-time All-Star has plenty of in-game dunking experience that could come in handy.
Jaylen Brown’s stellar play with Celtics is getting overlooked
All-Star weekend festivities aside, Brown is quietly having one of the best years of his career. Even though his scoring rate of 22.1 points per game isn’t a personal best, he’s averaging a career-high 3.8 assists per game and shooting a career-high 49.5% from the field. His turnover rate this season (2.4 per game) is also the lowest it’s been since 2020.
The main reason Brown’s scoring numbers are down isn’t even his fault. Boston’s starting five features other elite offensive players like Tatum and center Kristaps Porzingis. Starting guard Derrick White even had a legitimate All-Star case due to his hot shooting and defensive prowess.
As a result of Boston’s stellar talent , the Celtics are in first place in the Eastern Conference—with the second-place Cleveland Cavaliers still five games behind them. Additionally, the C’s are the first team to reach 40 wins this season, giving them an impressive 40-12 overall record.
Before Brown and company can prepare for All-Star weekend, they’ll have to take on the rival Miami Heat on Sunday afternoon and then face the Brooklyn Nets two times in a row on Tuesday and Wednesday.
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