“We’re looking at an application package,” Grousbeck told the Globe. “But we have to work it out with the Convention Center. We are going to ask for an application package and we’ll see what happens.”

Celtics ownership has shied away from presenting an application to the NBA because a majority of the team’s season ticket-holders wouldn’t be able to get their same seats for the All-Star Game. But Grousbeck said the group has decided to prepare an application and the NBA would likely relish a chance to bring the game to one of its most historic cities.

The Celtics haven’t hosted an All-Star Game in 53 years. That could change in the next few years as team ownership is preparing an application to become a host city, according to majority owner Wyc Grousbeck .


The soonest Boston could host the All-Star Game would be 2022. The game is in Los Angeles in 2018, Charlotte in 2019, Chicago in 2020, and Indianapolis in 2021.

“We can’t get all of our fans into the game, all of our season ticket-holders,” Grousbeck said. “We have a season ticket-holder wait list and relatively few of our season ticket-holders would be able to come to a game that we host. But nonetheless, we’re going to get a package and see if we can work something out.”

More NBA cities have applied for the game in recent years after Los Angeles, New Orleans, and Houston all hosted the game twice in 12-year span.

The last time Boston hosted the All-Star Game was 1964, when the East, led by Oscar Robertson (26 points, 14 rebounds, 10 assists) and Bill Russell (13 points, 25 rebounds), beat the West, 111-107.

Tatum in synch

The Celtics have unexpectedly placed offensive responsibility on 19-year-old rookie Jayson Tatum and he has flourished. The question now is: Do the Celtics, who have scuffled offensively in recent stretches, need to go to the versatile swingman more?


Tatum went into Saturday’s 117-92 victory over the Bulls averaging 13.9 points per game. He attempted just 10 shots in Thursday’s loss to the Knicks, upping it to 12 Saturday while going for 13 points in his 33 minutes of play.

Tatum’s season offensive rating is 122, meaning the Celtics score 122 points for each 100 possessions Tatum is on the floor. That is an impressive rate.

So will the Celtics get Tatum more involved in shooting and playmaking?

“As the season goes on, you learn more and more about the guys that are there, what they can handle,” coach Brad Stevens said. “The age-old question is if he becomes more of the focal point on certain actions is that a good thing, efficiency-wise? Or is that something that will be harder to manage at that age? But he’s shown that he can handle a lot and, as we continue to move forward, he’s going to continue to get more and more opportunities.”

Too smooth by Tatum. pic.twitter.com/XnQZoAiais — Boston Celtics (@celtics) December 24, 2017

Tatum has chosen his spots to be aggressive. Does he need to become more assertive?

“I want our whole team to shoot good shots, wherever they come from, whoever has it,” Stevens said. “If [Al Horford’s] being double-teamed, he’s not going to shoot 20 times. So we just have to continue to look for good spots. It’s about getting to our spots quicker.

“I think our transition has been poor. Getting to our spots so we can execute better will really help us as a whole.”


Meanwhile, Stevens said the offensive issues are more than missing shots, but a lack of overall execution.

“I think that when we do we find the right pass a lot, we move the ball well and we just have to step up and knock it down,” he said. “But we can get a lot better in a lot of areas and we’ll continue to work to do that.”

Feeling better

Jaylen Brown was reluctant to miss the Thursday loss to the Knicks with a strained left Achilles’, but he was in the lineup Saturday against the Bulls.

Brown worked out before Thursday’s game and felt he was sound enough to play but was held out as a precautionary measure.

Brown started Saturday at TD Garden, as Marcus Smart returned to the bench.

Brown scored 20, going 7 for 10 from the field, in 27 minutes.

Brown has missed three games this season for disparate reasons — attending the funeral of his best friend, an eye issue, and the Achilles’ ailment.

Gary Washburn can be reached at gwashburn@globe.com. Follow him on Twitter @GwashburnGlobe.