Inside The Celtics

Jaylen Brown Doesn't Win Dunk Contest but Delivers Most Poignant Moment

Celtics star Jaylen Brown utilized the Slam Dunk Contest spotlight to make good on a promise and help keep a local inspiration's legacy in viewers' thoughts.

Bobby Krivitsky

Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
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Saturday night at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Indiana, Jaylen Brown became the first All-Star to participate in the NBA's Slam Dunk Contest since 2017.

Discussing his quest to bring more star power to an event where marquee players like Michael Jordan, Dominique Wilkins, and Vince Carter threw down dunks that became immortalized, the 2022 All-NBA Second Team selection expressed the following while on NBATV earlier in the evening.

"I loved growing up and watching it. I think I'm one of the best to do it in terms of dunking on somebody in the game. So, I think this is a part of the journey (and) this is a part of my legacy."

The Marietta, Georgia, native then went out there and threw down powerful, vicious, and acrobatic jams. He did so with added flavor, paying homage to Wilkins and his roots first.

He then involved teammate and fellow All-Star Jayson Tatum.

Saving the best for last, Brown honored Terrence Clarke, a local star who inspired countless New England basketball players.

The former Kentucky Wildcat tragically passed away as the result of a car accident at 19 years old. At the 2021 NBA Draft, a night Clarke was supposed to live out a childhood dream, the league welcomed him into its fraternity.

The Boston Celtics and the NBA named a court in Clarke's honor at the Vine St. Community Center, where he put in countless hours honing his craft.

After a late November win over the Houston Rockets in 2021, Brown, who was present and spoke to those in attendance that day, voiced, "It meant the world to me."

The now three-time All-Star continued, "We have a saying that we say in our family, that energy lasts forever. We truly believe that if we keep speaking his name and remembering him, that energy is still gonna be around. So, Terrence is no longer here with us today, but as long as I'm here, a piece of him lives with me, and a piece of him lives in all of us. So, I'm gonna continue to celebrate him and his family for giving us Terrence because he was a great kid, man, he really was."

After the Dunk Contest, the competition's silver medalist, who won gold where it matters most, conveyed of honoring Clarke, "Terrence was like my little bro. Definitely a Boston connection. I wanted to have a purpose in everything that I was doing. I wanted everything to have a message behind it, and I think that's what I did tonight."

So, while Mac McClung successfully defended his Slam Dunk title, Brown utilizing this stage to pay his respects to Clarke and his family and keep his legacy in viewers' thoughts was the evening's most poignant moment.

Further Reading

Kristaps Porzingis Shares How First Season with Celtics Compares to His Expectations: 'Haven't Stopped Smiling'

Jayson Tatum's Approach vs. Nets Tale of Two Halves and Steadfast Commitment

Jaylen Brown on Altercation with Duncan Robinson: 'I Bet You He Won't Do It Again'

Brad Stevens Discusses Celtics' Plan for Final Roster Spot

Brad Stevens Sheds Light on Celtics' Motivations for Xavier Tillman Trade

Celtics Swing Savvy Deal with 76ers for Jaden Springer

Marcus Smart Shares How Boston Shaped Him, His Message to Celtics Fans

Celtics Maturation Molded by Experience: 'It Builds, Like, an Armor'

Jaylen Brown Quieting Doubters, Validating What He Always Believed: 'Earn Everybody's Trust'

Joe Mazzulla Discusses Identity, Evolution of Celtics' Offense: 'Balance of Pace and Execution'

Jaylen Brown Shares His View of What Defines 'Celtics Basketball'

Published
Bobby Krivitsky
BOBBY KRIVITSKY

Bobby Krivitsky's experiences include covering the NBA as a credentialed reporter for Basketball Insiders. He's also a national sports talk host for SportsMap Radio, a network airing on 96 radio stations throughout the country. Additionally, he was a major-market host, update anchor, and producer for IMG Audio, and he worked for Bleacher Report as an NFL and NBA columnist.

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