Cal Basketball: Jaylen Brown Set for Liftoff at NBA Slam Dunk Contest

Brown is the biggest name in the once-glamorous event that has lost much of its luster.

Jaylen Brown, who will be the first former Cal player to participate in the NBA Slam Dunk Contest, sounds like he may enlist Boston Celtics teammate Jayson Tatum to assist him Saturday night at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.

“I may or may not use props,” Brown said. “I got about six in the chamber or whatever. We’ll see which ones I end up going with, but definitely be on the look for (Tatum) to make an appearance on it.

"Definitely want to use the All-Star weekend, the fun activities to be able to build with your teammates and share some of that. If JT is available, for sure it will be fun.”

He seems to do all right without props:

https://t.co/O4KKNZme2l pic.twitter.com/JNnSc9ptaF

— Cal Basketball (@CalMBBall) February 8, 2024

Brown will be the first player to participate in the Slam Dunk Contest and the All-Star Game in the same year since DeAndre Jordan in 2017. This is his second All-Star Game appearance.

The dunk competition will cap TNT's coverage of events Saturday, starting at 5 p.m. PT. The schedule also includes the skills competition, 3-point shooting contest and Stephen Curry vs. Sabrina Ionescu 3-point challenge.

The 73rd NBA All-Star Game will tip off at 5 p.m. PT on Sunday, also on TNT.

Jaylen Brown soars for a dunk vs. the Denver Nuggets / Photo by David Butler II, USA Today

Brown reportedly twice before has turned down invites to be part of the Slam Dunk Contest but decided the time was right.

“I think I’m in my athletic prime,” the 27-year-old told reporters. “I think it’ll be fun. I wish more top players/athletes, decided to compete in the Dunk Contest. I grew up watching that and that’s what I love.”

The Slam Dunk Contest once enjoyed star-studded entry lists with the likes of Michael Jordan, Dominique Wilkins, Julius Erving. The biggest names mostly have declined in recent years, leading to this forgettable list of winners over the past five competitions:

• 2019: Hammidou Diallo
• 2020: Derrick Jones Jr.
• 2021: Anfernee Simons
• 2022: Obi Toppin
• 2023: Mac McClung

McClung, who is returning to defend his title, won last year while representing the Philadelphia 76ers even though he played just two games for the franchise in 2022-23. He plays this season for the Osceola Magic of the G League and has not made an NBA appearance.

Brown’s competition otherwise is Jacob Toppin, a two-way player for the New York Knicks, who has seen action in just four NBA games, and Miami Heat rookie Jaime Jacquez Jr., a part-time starter out of UCLA.

Brown has given little indication about his dunk strategy.

“Everything has been done,” Brown said. “I think just my approach is just to have fun with it and put my own little style, my own little swag on things. Everything has been done, but I feel like I bring a uniqueness. So I plan on putting my own style and bringing my own swag to it and just go from there.”

Tatum, who will join Brown in Sunday’s All-Star Game, confirmed he has volunteered to help, if asked. “I would love for him to win, and I think it would be exciting to see.”

Teammate Al Horford said he’ll also be rooting for Brown.

“I think it’s pretty cool. I feel like he has the flash in his game, he has the personality to be in that type of position,” Horford said. I’m expecting some creative stuff . . .I’m curious to see. I have high expectations for Jaylen.”

Another teammate, Jrue Holiday, put some pressure on Brown to deliver.

“I told him if he stinks, then I’m going to repost it,” Holiday said. “How embarrassed I’m going to be.”

But he also said he’s happy to see a star play in the field.

“Especially with the Dunk Contest, especially the big-name guys, All-Star break is a time to rest and kind of regain your mental strength,” Holiday said. “But I think to go out there and do the dunk contest is big. And again, a big name like JB, who’s super athletic, and you see the dunks he does in-game, I’m excited to see him.”

The Pac-12 has a solid legacy in the NBA Slam Dunk Contest, which began in 1984 but has its origins with the 1976 ABA event. Six different former Pac-12 players have combined to win the event 10 times.

The Pac-12 winners: Harold Miner, USC (1993 and ’95), Brent Barry, Oregon State (1996), Fred Jones, Oregon (2004), Nate Robinson, Washington (2006, ’09 and ’10), Terrence Ross, Washington (2013) and Zach LaVine, UCLA (2015 and ’16).

Brown could become just the third Celtics player to win it, following Dee Brown in 1991 and Gerald Green in 2007.

Cover photo of Jaylen Brown by Paul Rutherford, USA Today

Follow Jeff Faraudo of Cal Sports Report on Twitter: @jefffaraudo