In honor of NBA All-Star weekend and Jaylen Brown participating in the dunk contest this year, let’s reminiscence on some iconic Celtics moments from previous All-Star weekends. Over the years, there have been plenty of memorable Celtics moments in each main All-Star event. Let’s dive into the best Celtics All-Star weekend moments of all time.
The Five Best Celtics All-Star Moments Of All-Time
Larry Bird’s Three-Peat
Just like MVPs, Larry Bird won three straight three-point contests in the 80s. Notably, Bird’s three wins coincide with the first three years of the contest. But none were more legendary than Bird’s 1988 performance to secure a three-peat. Supremely confident as always, Bird kept his warm-up jacket on for the entire contest—he did the same thing in 1987. He got off to a somewhat slow start but Bird hit his moneyball to advance to the second round. Bird won the contest in dramatic fashion, hitting a money ball three to secure a win over Dale Ellis. As the shot was in the air, Bird walked off celebrating with his finger in the air. Ultimately, Bird’s 1988 performance and walk off shot remains one of the greatest moments in three-point contest history and is an important part of Celtics lore.
Dee Brown’s Iconic Dunk Contest
Dee Brown delivered one of the most legendary dunk contest performances of all time in 1991. The explosive rookie stole the show early with flashy dunks including the first ever two-ball dunk, a creative “shoe pump” dunk, and a between-the-legs dunk. In the final round, Brown secured a win over elite 1990s dunker Shawn Kemp with his iconic no-look dunk. Brown’s no-look dunk remains one of the greatest moments in dunk contest history and created one of the most iconic photos in NBA history. Look for Jaylen Brown to pay homage to Dee Brown at this year’s dunk contest.
Tatum’s Record-Breaking Performance
Last year’s All-Star game will be remembered for Jayson Tatum’s historic performance. In a game where most stars’ effort and defense were non-existent, Tatum refused to take his foot off the gas and dominated throughout the night. Tatum poured in an All-Star record 55 points—including 10 threes—10 rebounds and six assists en route to a Team Giannis win. Tatum’s 55 points broke Anthony Davis’ 52-point record set in 2017. Naturally, this outstanding performance earned Tatum the All-Star game MVP. Iconic plays from Tatum in this game include a one-on-one matchup with Brown and a three-pointer in the 3rd quarter.
Celtics Get 4 All-Stars
In 2011, four Celtics—Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, Ray Allen, and Rajon Rondo—were named All-Stars. Impressively, the 2011 Celtics are one of just nine teams in NBA history—and three teams in Celtics history—to have four All-Stars. By leading the conference at the All-Star break and having more All-Stars, the Celtics were able to steal the spotlight from LeBron James’ first year in Miami. The All-Star game itself was uneventful from a Celtics’ perspective. However, this was a great moment for an important era of Celtics basketball.
Paul Pierce’s Redemption
While Pierce’s 2010 three-point contest victory isn’t as iconic or memorable as Bird’s, it’s still a pretty awesome moment. Eight years removed from his first three-point contest, Pierce was eager to put on a show and prove himself. Paying homage to Bird, Pierce wore his warm-up jacket the entire contest. Pierce defeated rookie Steph Curry in the final round. Impressively Pierce hit every moneyball shot in the final round ultimately outscoring Curry 20 to 17. Pierce remains the only Celtic outside of Bird to win a three-point contest.
