There might be many reminiscences popping out the 2024 NBA All-Star Weekend. There was Jaylen Brown paying homage to Dee Brown with a bit of assist from Jayson Tatum and paying tribute to Terrence Clarke within the Slam Dunk Contest. Within the mid-season basic on Sunday, Tatum began for the East and scored 20 factors — not even near the 55 he dropped final 12 months to set the single-game scoring file on the best way to MVP honors. Brown made a push with 36 for this 12 months’s honor which finally went to Damian Lillard.
Many will argue that the league’s showcase has misplaced its luster and that’s true, however I gained’t argue that right here. I’m positive a child rising up right now will go to mattress tonight with all their favourite pictures from the sport holding them up. Sadly, I’m previous the surprise of all of it. Nevertheless, there was this second:
After I noticed this ten-second clip flash by on Twitter, it truly took me a second to register it. “Flashback” is perhaps a greater description. That handshake was not only a handshake between a Celtics legend and a legend-to-be, however cosmically, it was my 46-year-old self reaching out to my 10-year-old self. It gave me the identical chills because the digitally-enhanced NBA on TNT NBA Eternally teaser, however this was actual life. Watching Larry Chook greet Jayson Tatum actually signified how lengthy I’ve cherished this sport, this staff, and their wealthy historical past.
“It’s not one thing you are taking with no consideration. Solely twenty-four of use get to be right here yearly. There’s 450-500 gamers within the league, in order that’s a very massive deal. It’s a particular weekend. You bought the very best gamers on this planet. Lots of retired guys come round and also you get to see them,” Tatum mentioned after apply on Saturday.
“It’s nice for the followers. It’s nice for your loved ones. That’s my favourite a part of the weekend, with the ability to deliver my son clearly and my mother, seeing all of the retired guys I grew up watching, attending to spend time with them.”
Earlier than Sunday evening, the closest Jayson Tatum obtained to Larry Legend was successful the inaugural award named after Chook again in 2022 when Tatum was named the Larry Chook Jap Convention Finals MVP.
However with the All-Star Recreation in Chook’s yard this 12 months, it supplied the proper alternative for the 2 to really meet in particular person. Chook, Julius Erving, and Adam Silver had been within the East locker room earlier than the sport, however Tatum didn’t get an opportunity to introduce himself.
“I bear in mind saying, ‘I’ve by no means met Larry Chook. I’ve by no means been in the identical room as him.’ As loopy as that sounds, it’s by no means labored out,” Tatum mentioned. However earlier than tip-off, a part of the Celtics PR workers noticed Chook and ran Tatum down.
“I obtained an opportunity to go meet him, inform him how a lot of an honor it was to fulfill him, and he advised me that he was wanting ahead to assembly me. That was loopy to listen to him say that. He was so much taller than I assumed he was. What he means to the sport, what he means to town of Boston and the Celtics — he’s the last word Celtic. It was an honor to fulfill him.”
I actually can’t bear in mind if Paul Pierce ever met Chook. If any readers recall the assembly, please point out it within the feedback. It wouldn’t shock in the event that they didn’t. Chook doesn’t make lots of public appearances and rarer nonetheless are his visits again to Boston. But when they’d met, I’m not even positive it might have hit me as arduous as Chook-Tatum did tonight. Twenty-one years separate Chook and Pierce in age, and one other twenty-one between Pierce and Tatum. That’s 42 years between Chook and Tatum.
The second lasted a mere ten seconds. There didn’t appear to be some massive rah-rah speech about elevating Banner 18 with in all probability only a easy alternate of pleasantries that one would count on between a 67-year-old and 25-year-old 19-year-old. For this fan, it sparked a perspective in me that I didn’t see coming, however definitely respect now. The theme of the weekend appeared to be rising the league and the sport’s viewers, whether or not that was Steph Curry and Sabrina Ionescu’s shootout or LCD glass ground at All-Star Saturday Evening or Brown inviting on-line streamer Kai Cenat for one in every of his dunks.
“It’s for the children,” I reminded myself and in the long run, by means of one handshake, the NBA jogged my memory that I, too, was a child as soon as.
