Brown’s first taste as All-Star a unique one
C’s young stars face each other
Utah Jazz head coach Quin Snyder had a feeling Celtics’ guard Jaylen Brown was destined for big things in the NBA.
“I saw Jaylen in the (Disney World) bubble and I reminded him that the first contact I had with him was a draft interview in Chicago before his rookie year right before the draft, and he was so impressive on so many levels,” said Snyder. “Not just intelligent, but very thoughtful and composed. We weren’t picking high enough to be able to draft him, but I can remember coming out of that meeting and thinking as a young player he was extremely talented, but also got the sense that this is a man who is going to grow and evolve, and he understands who he is and where he wants to go. I think that’s what’s happened with his game.”
On Sunday night, the 24year-old Brown played in his first NBA All-Star Game. He suited up for Team LeBron, which was coached by Snyder, whose Jazz own the best record in the league.
For Brown, the experience was loaded with unique subplots, and it culminated with an impressive 22-point (five 3-pointers) performance in Team LeBron’s 170-150 win over Team Durant.
He attended Wheeler High School in Marietta, Ga., just 18 miles north of Atlanta’s State Farm Arena, the site of Sunday’s All-Star festivities. So, Brown had the special privilege of making his homecoming, but attendance for the game was limited to between 1,200-1,500 spectators, due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Then there was the fact that Brown was playing for Team LeBron, while his Celtics’ teammate and two-time all-star Jayson Tatum suited up for Team Durant. And, on top of that, the C’s talented young duo squared-off against each other in the 3-point contest, held just before the game tipped off, as opposed to its yearly customary spot on All-Star Saturday night.
Brown was asked on Sunday what this experience, filled with strict health protocols, feels like compared to what he expected it would’ve felt like in previous years.
“It’s a lot different. Just where the world is now still, COVID is still out there, so definitely your approach is different,” he said.
Many people, including some players selected to the game, felt it was a poor decision by the NBA to go through with the annual AllStar celebration in the midst of the ongoing health crisis.
That sentiment gained steam early on Sunday when it was learned that Philadelphia 76ers teammates Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons were ruled out of the All-Star Game because the two had contact with a barber who had since tested positive for the coronavirus, according to an ESPN report.
“You have situations like we are dealing with today, it’s just an unfortunate time in the world where our health and safety should be at the front of the helm,” said Los Angeles Clippers AllStar Paul George on Sunday. “I personally didn’t agree with the game, but it is what it is.”
Brown referred to the last 12 months as a “year of reflection” that transformed everyone out of necessity.
But he was doing his best to make the most of his first All-Star game, and he had a key four-point play in the fourth quarter that helped lead Team LeBron to the win.
Teammates turned opponents
Leading into the game, Brown didn’t shy away from a little friendly trash talk toward his friend and teammate, Tatum, in the event that they found themselves guarding each other on Sunday night.
“Get the puppies moving and it’s a wrap,” joked Brown when asked if he might need to dig deep into his bag of tricks to win a matchup against Tatum. “I’m looking forward to it. Me and JT obviously play one-on-one. He thinks he knows my moves, but I tell him all the time that I ain’t got to do too much.”
Well, it was Tatum who earned the bragging rights over Brown in the 3-point contest, as he finished in the top-three of the six competitors in the first round and advanced, while Brown was eliminated after just a 17point showing.
However, Tatum didn’t stand a chance against Golden State Warriors’ guard Stephen Curry, who put on a display that we’ve come to expect from arguably the greatest shooter of all-time to win the contest. Utah Jazz guard Mike Conley was the runner-up.
Like Brown, Tatum, who had 21 points and seven assists for Team Durant, was looking forward to the challenge of playing against his teammate and frequent postpractice one-on-one partner.
“Especially, when I came in (the league), we were just two young guys trying to prove themselves,” Tatum said. “Obviously, he had been here a year before me. When I first got here, the first two years, we had the same shooting coach, (former assistant Micah) Shrewsberry, so we always kind of shot together. And we were just always in the gym, always working, always trying to get better, just trying to push each other. A lot of one-onone games, a lot of shooting drills.
“I was thinking about guarding somebody else, just because we play each other so much. But if it does happen, I mean I know all of his moves. I know what he’s going to do, so I ain’t going to let him score.”
Tatum said he remembered feeling nervous last year when he woke up on the morning of his first all-star game
“It was all surreal to me, it was new,” he said. “I still get excited, I’m still excited about today, but I know what to expect a little more.”
Tatum’s power rankings
Tatum was a replacement starter for team captain Kevin Durant, who selected Tatum in the all-star draft last week.
Tatum was asked Sunday who he would choose to play with if he was an All-Star team captain. He went with LeBron James, Curry, Brown and his close friend and fellow St. Louis native Bradley Beal.
Tatum played alongside fellow Duke products Kyrie Irving and Zion Williamson on Team Durant. He was also asked during his session with the media yesterday who he thinks is the best player to come out of Duke?
“I think right now it might have to be Grant Hill,” said Tatum. “Like if basketball was just somehow stopped today. Obviously, Kyrie is up there, with gold medals and how many all-star appearances he has. Obviously, he has a championship. But I just think right now — obviously Kyrie can pass that, and I’m chasing that — but I think right now Grant Hill would have to be the best Duke player.”