Jayson Tatum to participate in 3-point contest at NBA All-Star weekend
BOSTON -- Jayson Tatum is going downtown during this weekend's NBA All-Star festivities. In addition to starting Sunday's All-Star Game, the Celtics forward is set to compete in the 3-point contest Saturday night in Utah.
Tatum will show off his long-distance shot against a slew of other shooters, competing against Kevin Huerter of the Sacramento Kings, Tyler Herro of the Miami Heat, Tyrese Haliburton and Buddy Hield of the Indiana Pacers, Damian Lillard and Anfernee Simons of the Portland Trail Blazers, and Lauri Markkanen of the Utah Jazz.
Sources: NBA 3-Point Contest participants at All-Star Weekend: Boston's Jayson Tatum, Sacramento's Kevin Huerter, Miami's Tyler Herro, Indiana's Tyrese Haliburton and Buddy Hield, Portland's Damian Lillard and Anfernee Simons and Utah's Lauri Markkanen.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) February 14, 2023
A 38 percent shooter from beyond the arc for his career, Tatum is shooting 35.3 percent from three this season. His 177 makes from downtown are good for seventh in the NBA, while his 502 attempts from deep are the third-most in the league, behind only Hield and Simmons.
This will be the second time that Tatum participates in the 3-point contest. He had 25 points in the first round of the 2021 three-point contest, but only 17 points in the final round to finish third behind champion Steph Curry (28 points) and Mike Conley (27 points).
The last Celtics player to win the 3-point contest was Paul Pierce back in 2010. Larry Bird is the only other Celtics player to win the competition, taking home the title in the first three years of its existence in 1986, 1987, and 1988.