NBA All-Star Game history: Recapping best performances by Celtics players

The 2023 NBA All-Star Game is Sunday night in Utah, and the Boston Celtics will be represented.

Jayson Tatum will make his fourth All-Star appearance and his second in a row as a starter. Jaylen Brown was selected as a reserve for the second time, although it's not yet known if he'll actually play because of the facial fracture he suffered last week. 

Tatum also is going to participate in the 3-Point Contest for the second time in the last three years. 

The best 3-point contest performances in NBA All-Star history

Here's a look at the best performances by Celtics players in the history of the NBA All-Star Game, which goes back to the very first matchup 72 years ago. 

1951: Ed Macauley 

The first All-Star Game in NBA history took place at the old Boston Garden, where Celtics star "Easy" Ed Macauley won MVP honors with 20 points. His performance led the Eastern Conference to a 111-94 victory.

1954 and 1957: Bob Cousy

Celtics point guard Bob Cousy is the only player in team history to win multiple All-Star Game MVP awards. He took home the trophy in 1954 and 1957. Cousy tallied 20 points, 11 rebounds and four assists in 1954, and posted 10 points, five rebounds and seven assists in 1957. The East won both games.

1955: Bill Sharman

Celtics guard Bill Sharman scored 15 points in 18 minutes during the 1955 NBA All-Star Game. That doesn't sound MVP-worthy until you consider 10 of those points came in the fourth quarter when the East outscored the West 30-20 for a 100-91 victory.

1963: Bill Russell

Celtics center Bill Russell scored 19 points and pulled down a game-high 24 rebounds to lead the East to a 115-108 win at the 1963 NBA All-Star Game. He was an easy selection for MVP.

1968: John Havlicek

John Havlicek and Bob Cousy hold the Celtics record for All-Star Game appearances with 13. Havlicek scored 26 points in just 22 minutes during the 1968 NBA All-Star Game, leading the East to a 144-124 victory in New York.

1973: Dave Cowens

Celtics center Dave Cowens led the East with 15 points and 13 rebounds in the 1973 NBA All-Star Game. His excellent performance powered the East to a convincing 104-84 win and earned him MVP honors.

1976: Dave Cowens

Cowens earned an impressive double-double at the 1976 NBA All-Star Game with 16 points and 16 rebounds in 23 minutes. The East won 123-109 in Philadelphia.

1981: Nate "Tiny" Archibald

Celtics point guard Nate Archibald scored only nine points in the 1981 NBA All-Star Game, but his exquisite playmaking, evidenced by his team-high nine assists, helped him win MVP. Archibald and the Celtics won the NBA Finals over the Houston Rockets just a few months later.

1982: Larry Bird

The last player to win All-Star Game MVP for the Celtics was Larry Bird in 1982. Bird's 19 points and 12 rebounds, in addition to his clutch scoring late in the fourth quarter, earned the East a 120-118 victory and the Celtics forward MVP. 

1984: Robert Parish

Parish was the starting center for the Eastern Conference in 1984 and scored 12 points with a game-high 15 rebounds as the East won 154-145 in Denver.

1986: Larry Bird

Bird scored 26 points with eight rebounds, five assists and seven (!) steals in a 139-132 win for the East at the 1986 NBA All-Star Game in Dallas. But it wasn't enough for him to win MVP -- Detroit Pistons point guard Isiah Thomas won with 30 points, 10 assists and five steals.

2002: Paul Pierce

Paul Pierce made his All-Star Game debut in 2002 and scored 19 points (second-most on the East squad) with seven rebounds.  The East was defeated by the West 135-120 in Philadelphia.

2008: Ray Allen

Allen led the 2008 NBA All-Star Game in scoring with 28 points on 10-for-14 shooting. But Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James edged him out for MVP with 27 points and nine assists as the East won 134-128 in New Orleans. 

2009: Paul Pierce

Pierce was one of three Celtics All-Stars in 2009 and scored 18 points with four rebounds, two assists and two steals in 19 minutes off the bench. The West won 146-119 in Phoenix.

2017: Isaiah Thomas

Thomas provided the East with instant offense off the bench as he scored 20 points in 19 minutes. He averaged 28.9 points per game that season and finished fifth in league MVP voting.

2020: Kemba Walker

Walker's first All-Star appearance with the Celtics was an impressive one. He scored 20 points with three assists and three rebounds for Team Giannis, which suffered a narrow 157-155 defeat to Team LeBron.

2021: Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown

Brown and Tatum appeared in their first All-Star game together in 2021. It was Brown's first ever appearance and Tatum's second. Brown scored 22 points in 26 minutes for Team LeBron and Tatum poured in 20 with seven assists in 17 minutes for Team Durant. Team LeBron won 170-150.