In the latest announcement on Thursday (Friday Manila time), Jaylen Brown of Boston, Jalen Brunson of New York, and Damian Lillard of Milwaukee are among the notable players selected for the NBA All-Star Game skills competitions.
Set to take place on February 17, All-Star Saturday in Indianapolis will feature the NBA Slam Dunk Contest, 3-Point Contest, and a Skills Challenge teams event ahead of the NBA All-Star Game. The Slam Dunk showdown will showcase talents like Brown, Jacob Toppin from New York, Jaime Jaquez from Miami, and the defending champion Mac McClung from the Orlando Magic’s G-League developmental team.
Lillard is geared up to defend his title in the 3-Point Contest, facing tough competition from Malik Beasley (Bucks teammate), Brunson, Trae Young of Atlanta, Donovan Mitchell of Cleveland, Karl-Anthony Towns of Minnesota, Tyrese Haliburton of Indiana, and Lauri Markkanen of Utah.
The Skills Challenge will bring forth three trios, namely Team Pacers for the hosts, Team All-Stars from the main game, and Team Top Picks, featuring three NBA Draft number one selections — Victor Wembanyama of San Antonio, Paolo Banchero of Orlando, and Anthony Edwards of Minnesota. Team All-Stars will include Young, Scottie Barnes of Toronto, and Tyrese Maxey of Philadelphia, while Team Pacers will comprise Haliburton, Myles Turner, and Bennedict Mathurin of Indiana.
Adding to the excitement, a Three-Point Challenge is set between NBA all-time 3-pointers leader Stephen Curry of Golden State and Women’s NBA single-season 3-point record holder Sabrina Ionescu.
