The Slam Dunk Contest has been one of the hallmark events of the All-Star events. In recent years, however, some have argued that the contest has lost its luster, with fewer high-profile players participating and a lack of innovation in dunks. Therefore, the Boston Celtics’ Jaylen Brown star has taken it upon himself to revive the excitement surrounding the dunk contests. However, this backfired during his recent Slam Dunk performance.
While he did deliver some highlight-worthy dunks, such as honoring the late Terrence Clark by wearing his high school jersey and sporting a white glove on his left hand as a tribute to Indiana native Michael Jackson, the crowd at the Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis was, for the most part, unimpressed with his performance.
Moreover, he lost the title to Osceola Magic guard Mac McClung by a single point. But he is not ready to give up just yet. He told the reporters on Thursday that he is open to running it back in an attempt to “redeem” himself after losing to the G League player. “If they ask me and nobody else cares to do it, f–k it, I’ll do it again,” said Brown.
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Jaylen Brown on the #DunkContest: "F*** it. I'll do it again. I don't really care (about) memes and stuff."
"I think I can redeem myself for sure."
Full interview this morning: https://t.co/VWkzTFT28X
⚡️ @FDSportsbook pic.twitter.com/AT5618T6EP
— Celtics on CLNS (@CelticsCLNS) February 22, 2024
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After his poor attempt at paying tribute to Dee Brown, who threw down a slam with his eyes covered on the way, he became the butt of many jokes on the Internet. However, he emphasized that he is not worried about “memes and stuff”. For him, dunking is an art form, a medium he can use to express himself more creatively.
Mac McClung edges out Jaylen Brown
On the other hand, Mac McClung created history by becoming only the fifth player to ever win back-to-back slam dunk contests during NBA All-Star Weekend. Just like last year, he put on a show with his incredible athleticism and spryness. One of the most iconic moments of the night was when he brought out Shaquille O’Neal and got him to wear his personalized Gate City High School jersey. He then went on to leap over 7ft 1in Hall of Famer to throw down a reverse slam, which earned him a perfect score of 50. He finished with a combined score of 98.8 points on his last two dunks, while Brown finished with 97.8.
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Read More: NBA Dunk Contest 2024: Jaylen Brown Has Most to Lose, Claims 2x Champion
However, while Brown missed a shot at the Slam Dunk title, he will be aiming for the bigger prize – a championship. The C’s are certainly in a position to do just that this coming spring. They boast the NBA-best 43-12 record and sit at the top of the Eastern Conference, four games ahead of the West-leading Minnesota Timberwolves. Do you think the Celtics can put an end to their 15-year drought and bring home their 18th banner? Let us know in the comments!