Jaylen Brown discusses his decision to participate in the dunk contest at this year’s NBA All-Star weekend. Jaylen will be the first All-Star to participate in seven years.
Jaylen Brown took a bit of heat for his dunk choices and execution in the 2024 NBA Dunk Contest. And it sounds like he couldn't care less.
After reaching the finals of last Saturday's Dunk Contest at NBA All-Star Weekend before losing out to Mac McClung, the Boston Celtics star was asked Thursday whether he'd consider running it back in the 2025 Dunk Contest.
"If they ask me and nobody cares to do it, f--- it, I'll do it again," Brown responded, via The Athletic's Jared Weiss.
Stay in the game with the latest updates on your beloved Boston sports teams! Sign up here for our All Access Daily newsletter.
Brown clearly took pride in being the first All-Star to suit up for the Dunk Contest since Victor Oladipo in 2018, even calling out the "abandonment" of a contest that used to feature household names like Michael Jordan, Dominique Wilkins, Vince Carter and Dwight Howard.
It appears he's also not deterred by any blowback received from his dunk choices Saturday -- although he did set the record straight about one of his attempts.
For his second dunk of the contest, Brown jumped over seated YouTuber Kai Cenat, completed a one-handed dunk and put his face to his forearm after landing in an apparent tribute to former Celtic Dee Brown in the 1991 Dunk Contest. On Wednesday night, Brown posted a video to his Instagram story that showed him successfully pulling off the Dee Brown imitation in practice.
"I felt like the court was a little slippery," Brown said after his semi-failed attempt Saturday night, via CLNS Media. "I wish I could have really done what I planned to do in my head or what I practiced, but I still think the message got sent and I had fun when I was doing it, so I can live with those results."
Even if Brown didn't blow doors in Saturday's contest, he gets props for putting himself out there. And while it's unclear whether he'd be invited back in 2025, if he can convince other stars to come out, that would be a major win for the NBA.
Brown's Celtics are back in action Thursday night in Chicago against the Bulls, with tip-off set for 8 p.m. ET on NBC Sports Boston.
