BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS – OCTOBER 27: Jaylen Brown #7 of the Boston Celtics yells after a dunk during the second quarter against the Miami Heat at TD Garden on October 27, 2023 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Maddie Schroeder/Getty Images)

On Thursday afternoon the NBA announced the participants for for All-Star Saturday Night, the showcase event held the night before the All-Star game which includes the Skills Challenge, 3-Point Contest, and Slam Dunk Contest. One Celtics player will be a part of the lineup, in a bit of a surprise role.

Earlier in the week, it was reported forward Jaylen Brown was considering participating in this year’s Dunk Contest. That consideration became a reality, as Brown was announced as one of four participants for this year’s showcase.

It’s a trend-breaking decision for Brown to decide to take part in the Dunk Contest. The NBA has struggled to get big-name players to participate in recent years. In fact, Brown is the first All-Star to take part in the event since Victor Oladipo in 2018.

Still, Brown is one of the league’s most electric dunkers and should have a good chance at winning. He’ll be competing against Jamie Jaquez Jr. of the Miami Heat, Jacob Toppin of the New York Knicks, and defending champion Mac McClung of the G-League Osceola Magic.

Brown will also be the fifth Celtics player to participate in the event, and will have a chance to be a the third winner from Boston. Here’s a look at the Celtics’ previous dunk contest participants, chronologically…

• Dee Brown, 1991: Winner

  Brown’s 1991 Dunk Contest performance is iconic, including his famous no-look dunk in the finals to capture the title over Shawn Kemp of the SuperSonics. After barely making it out of the first round Brown put up a 98 score in the semifinal, and 97.7 in the final.

• Greg Minor, 1996: 3rd place

  Minor advanced to the final round in the six-person dunk contest in 1996. However, he ended up coming in third place behind winner Brent Barry and runner-up Michael Finley (who later played for the Celtics in 2010).

• Ricky Davis, 2004: 4th place

  Davis took part in the Dunk Contest twice in his career, with his second appearance coming with the Celtics in 2004. That year the scoring was the sum of two dunks. While Davis’ first first-round dunk drew a solid 45, his second dunk was scored a 31, which was the lowest of the contest and kept him from the final. Indiana’s Fred Jones won that year.

• Gerald Green, 2007: Winner

  In the first of his three career dunk contests, Green faced stiff competition going up against Tyrus Thomas, Dwight Howard, and defending champion Nate Robinson. Green jumped over Robinson for one of his dunks while mirroring Dee Brown’s no-look dunk, then hit a windmill over a table for the win.

  Green returned to the Dunk Contest the next year as a member of the Timberwolves and pulled off his most memorable dunk – blowing out a candle on a cupcake on the back of the rim. However he came in second to Howard, who debuted the ‘Superman’ persona that year and scored a perfect ‘100.’

• Alex Barth is a writer and digital producer for 985TheSportsHub.com. Any opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect those of 98.5 The Sports Hub, Beasley Media Group, or any subsidiaries. Thoughts? Comments? Questions? Looking for a podcast guest? Let him know on Twitter @RealAlexBarth or via email at [email protected].

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