PORTLAND, Maine — It may be mid-February, but the Maine Celtics only have a handful of home games remaining this season.
The Celtics will take on the Windy City Bulls Wednesday night at 7 p.m. before the G-League and NBA All-Star break.
During Black History Month, the Maine Celtics will recognize a prominent member of the state's Black community during each home game. On Wednesday, the team will honor Joan White, who worked for the organization for 10 years.
White is the last living model of the Ogunquit School of Painting and Sculpture, according to the team. Besides modeling for famous artists in Maine, White studied and worked for Maya Angelou for 11 years.
She also began lobstering in Perkins Cove and was the first woman on the Special State Police Force of Harvard University, according to the Maine Celtics.
"We are excited to celebrate the rich Black history in the state of Maine with our fans," Maine Celtics Team President Dajuan Eubanks said in a release earlier this month. "The Maine Celtics hope to use our platform to shed light on our state’s history, and some of the great people that make Maine a great place to live."
Wednesday's game will be the last chance for fans to watch the Celtics play at the Expo until Feb. 25. While it will be a good break for most players, J.D. Davison and Jordan Jackson will be part of All-Star Weekend in Indianapolis.
Davison will play in the G-League All-Star Game on Sunday and said it's reassuring to know that all the hard work he put in this season is paying off.
"I came in last year as a rookie, second-year, [my] confidence has been bosting and [I just want to] keep it rolling," Davison said.
Jackson, who is the son of WNBA legend and Olympic gold medalist Sheryl Swoopes, will compete in the G-League dunk competition Saturday afternoon.
"I've been doing some thinking," Jackson said when asked if he has a plan for the dunk contest. "It's kind of hard to decide what you're doing beforehand, because you don't know what everyone else is going to do, so you got to go with the flow."
The G-League rookie said he's excited to speak with and learn from NBA players this weekend. He also said he's most looking forward to watch Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry and WNBA single-season 3-point record holder and New York Liberty guard Sabrina Ionescu compete in a 3-point shooting challenge.
Boston Celtics star Jaylen Brown, who was named to the NBA All-Star game, will compete in the NBA dunk contest. Jayson Tatum will also represent Boston in the All-Star game.
The Maine Celtics return from the break with a game on Feb. 22 against the Birmingham Squadron. Maine returns to the Portland Expo on Sunday, Feb. 25.