Celtics All-Star Weekend Notebook: Jayson Tatum inspires next generation, Jaylen Brown eyeing new leadership role, JD Davison a Rising Star

SAN FRANCISCO — All-Star weekend was, by and enormous, a multitude. From the strikingly-long intermission that had gamers questioning if gameplay would ever resume to the lackluster ambiance at Chase Middle, the NBA’s try at reviving an occasion that has lengthy been on the decline fell brief by virtually each account.

For the Celtics, it was largely a profitable weekend. Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum’s All-Star crew, dubbed Shaq’s OGs, received the event. Brown and Tatum, the crew’s two youngest gamers, seemed good of their restricted stints; Tatum tallied 25 factors, 5 rebounds, 4 assists, and 1 block throughout the 2 mini-games, whereas Brown recorded 12 factors, 2 rebounds, and 1 steal, at one level happening a private 8-0 run.

Sunday’s sport was the primary occasion, however it was maybe the least attention-grabbing a part of a jam-packed weekend of actions, no less than from the Celtics perspective.

Right here’s what stood out from the weekend of festivities, from on the bottom in San Francisco and Oakland.

Jaylen Brown probably eyeing NBPA presidency

Off the court docket, All-Star weekend serves as a possibility for the Nationwide Basketball Gamers Affiliation (NBPA) to convene and make management selections. The NBPA is liable for negotiating the league’s collective bargaining agreements, dealing with disputes, and advocating for participant welfare, amongst different endeavors.

Brown has been concerned with the NBPA all through his profession and has been one of many league’s vice presidents since 2019.

On Sunday, Brown was re-elected by his friends as one of many league’s seven VPs. And, he hinted that he finally could also be headed towards the NBPA presidency — a place that Pelicans guard CJ McCollum at present holds.

“They’re type of pushing me ahead to possibly take the subsequent step and be the official president,” Brown stated. “I’ve numerous stuff happening, however I take pleasure in utilizing my platform, studying concerning the gamers, listening to from the gamers, and making use of a few of our voices to what must be modified and what we wish to be modified.”

Brown stated he has discovered the NBPA expertise enriching.

“I’ve realized quite a bit, been on numerous cellphone calls, numerous Zoom calls, talked lots of people, frolicked with Adam [Silver], constructed a relationship with everyone on the NBA aspect,” he stated. “We’ll see how the subsequent 12 months or two performs out, however I like serving the gamers and serving the subsequent era of gamers.”

The renewed NBPA management position was removed from Brown’s solely off-court accomplishment this weekend. The 2024 Finals MVP additionally spent a day in Oakland, the place he introduced the launch of a brand new incubator constructing for Black-owned companies as a part of his new nonprofit, the Oakland XChange. (A deeper dive into this endeavor is coming later this week on SB Nation.)

Jayson Tatum inspiring the subsequent era of hoopers

Tatum excelled in his seventh All-Star look; he recorded 6 factors on 3-4 capturing within the first sport, and adopted that up with a game-high 15 factors on 6-7 capturing, together with 3-4 from three.

Regardless of being Crew Shaq’s most effective scorer throughout the 2 video games, Tatum was in all probability by no means destined to win MVP from a panel of voters that disproportionately represented the Bay Space. Steph Curry in the end garnered 13 of 15 MVP votes, with only one vote going to Tatum.

Of notice, Tatum was notably the youngest participant on Crew Shaq (Tatum is 26 and in distinction, Jalen Brunson, who was on the Younger Stars crew, is 28). However, Tatum’s placement on probably the most veteran crew is sensible contemplating his profession accolades (NBA championship, two Finals appearances, 5 Jap Convention Finals appearances), and the truth that there’s now a youthful era of gamers who look as much as him.

A type of guys is Stephon Citadel, the Spurs standout rookie who was chosen fourth general within the 2024 NBA Draft.

Over the summer season, Citadel wasn’t shy about admitting that Tatum was his favourite participant within the league, and on Friday, he bought the possibility to play in opposition to him within the All-Star Sport (just some days after taking part in in opposition to him in Boston).

Afterward, Citadel gushed concerning the expertise.

“I’ve been an enormous fan of JT for a minute now,” Citadel stated. “Simply having the ability to share the court docket with him — it’s positively a blessing.”

Citadel fittingly wore Tatum’s signature Nike sneakers throughout the Rising Stars sport, whereas Washington Wizards rookie Bub Carrington wore Jaylen Brown’s 741 efficiency footwear. The rookies donning the Celtics stars’ footwear mirrored the fact that regardless of Tatum and Brown’s comparatively younger age, they’re already thought of OGs.

JD Davison will get the possibility to shine on the large stage

Maine Celtics star JD Davison was invited to take part within the Rising Stars Problem, which happened on Friday night time. The occasion featured three groups: two groups comprised of the NBA’s greatest rookies and sophomores, and one made up of a forged of G-League standouts.

Davison, who has averaged 25.1 factors and seven.8 assists in his third 12 months as a two-way participant for the Maine Celtics, was named a member of the G-League crew — which defeated a crew full of elite NBA gamers like Amen and Ausur Thompson — to advance to Friday night time’s closing sport.

The G-League crew in the end fell brief in that one, lacking out on the possibility to compete on All-Star Sunday night time. Davison expressed his disappointment at the truth that his crew didn’t advance, noting he was notably excited concerning the probability to probably compete in opposition to Celtics teammates Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown.

“I used to be going at them regardless,” Davison stated with a smile, shortly after his crew fell 25-14 within the championship sport.

Davison is on his third (and closing) two-way contract with the Celtics and has gotten higher and higher every year he’s been within the league, pointing to his continuity with the group as a profit.

Nonetheless, he’s but to obtain a possibility to play within the huge leagues. Davison stated that he’s used Payton Pritchard as a useful resource about how one can cope with the psychological aspect of issues.

“I choose his mind quite a bit, discuss to him concerning the ups and downs,” Davison stated.

The winner of the Rising Stars event, a crew led by Dalton Knecht, Zach Edey, Stephon Citadel, and different younger abilities, in the end fell to the OGs within the first sport of the All-Star event. However, it could have been much more enjoyable to see Davison get the possibility to battle in opposition to Brown and Tatum.