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What Is Jayson Tatum Doing During Teammate Jaylen Brown’s Slam Dunk Contest? Celtics Superstar Dons New Hat on Day 2 of NBA All-Star Weekend

Published 02/17/2024, 1:03 AM EST

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The Boston Celtics have been on top of the Eastern Conference throughout the first half of the 2023-24 NBA season with a league-leading 43-12 record. The Celtics’ duo Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown now have their eyes set on the league’s All-Star weekend to make their mark again, albeit in different roles.

Five-time All-Star Tatum won’t be participating in the 3-Point Contest, unlike teammate Jaylen Brown. Instead, he’ll wear the “analyst” hat and team up with Vince Carter, Carmelo Anthony, and host Adam Lefkoe for a broadcast of the event on truTV and Max. The Celtics’ superstar will also give his analysis and insights during the heavily anticipated Stephen Curry vs. Sabrina Ionescu 3-Point Challenge.

While Tatum takes up the microphone, teammate Brown will take up center stage in the Slam Dunk Contest. The Celtics’ guard, with a season average of 22.3 points per game, will showcase his dunking powers against Mac McClung, Jaime Jaquez Jr., and Jacob Toppin. Despite never participating before, Brown ranks 27th in total dunks this season, making him a top contender and also the first All-Star in 6 years to participate in the All-Star Weekend Dunk Contest.

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For someone as soft-spoken as Tatum, this could be a tricky spot to cover. Unless people are head-to-head against him on-court, Tatum is a rather quiet star. He saves his analysis for the game and, of course, social media. There’s a good chance Tatum will finally open up more, sharing his opinions via a broadcast desk, along with Carter and Anthony.

Notably, Tatum will also join Charles Barkley and Draymond Green later to watch the All-Star Game with them in an alternate telecast of the matchup. But before that, of course, fans are hoping they will get a glimpse of him practicing alongside Brown for his dunk contest appearance. It seems both have come a long way together!

Veteran All-Stars, Evolving Roles

This year’s All-Star Weekend marks Tatum’s fifth consecutive appearance, while Brown joins for the third time in the last four years. Last year, Tatum recorded his name in history with a record-breaking 55 points in the All-Star Game, earning MVP honors for Team Giannis with a 184-175 victory. Brown also had a smashing performance, leading Team LeBron with 35 points and 14 rebounds off the bench. Although they team up again in the Eastern Conference, they’ll be blazing through different paths before Sunday’s game. Tatum will be seen embracing his analytical side, while Brown will be dishing out eye-catching, heart-beat-skipping dunks.

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“Appreciate Jaylen Brown for Bringing Stars Back”: 3x All-Star’s Decision on Dunk Contest Excites NBA World

On February 15, in the Barclays Center, Jayson Tatum bagged a staggering 41 points leading his team to a hard-fought 118-110 victory over the Brooklyn Nets. This fifth back-to-back win helped furnish their lead at 42-12 (now 43-12), leaving their closest opponents, the Cleveland Cavaliers, six games behind in the dust. Teammate Jaylen Brown also chipped in a solid 19 points.

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Now, the Celtics’ unbelievable duo, are all set to take up new roles. Tatum, a five-time All-Star, steps into the role of analyst for the 3-Point Contest while Brown, on the other hand, will keep the crowd engaged with his ferocious dunks in the Slam Dunk Contest.

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Can these “tag-team champions,” conquer their new All-Star challenges? The stage is set and all eyes are on them. Stay tuned to find out more!

Watch the Story: Jaylen Brown Warned: Reigning NBA Slam Dunk Content Champ Isn’t Backing Down Easy

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Written by:

Aakritee Raajj

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One take at a time

A lawyer turned NBA Writer at EssentiallySports, Aakritee Raajj found herself in the right realm as soon as she dropped her black coat to don the Mavericks’ jersey in the NBA department. That’s how the content strategy desk trusts her with any coverage demanding a legal knowhow. She became a fan of the league in the late 2000’s after Dirk Nowitzki upset the Miami Heat in Game 6 during 2011 NBA Finals.
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Edited by:

Saumya Khanduja