Victor Wembanyama, Chet Holmgren Headline 2024 NBA Rising Stars Participants

The future of the NBA is in the hands of a pair of giants, as San Antonio Spurs center Victor Wembanyama and Oklahoma City Thunder center Chet Holmgren headline the pool of players set to participate in the 2024 Rising Stars Challenge.

The NBA announced the full list of players on its app on Tuesday.

Wembanyama and Holmgren have established themselves as the front-runners for Rookie of the Year honors with their impressive performances on both ends of the floor.

Wembanyama, the 2023 No. 1 pick, leads the league with 3.1 blocks per game while also averaging 20.6 points, 10.1 rebounds, 3.1 assists and 1.1 steals. Holmgren, the 2022 No. 2 pick who missed last season with a foot injury, is averaging 16.7 points on 53.3 percent shooting along with 7.5 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 2.6 blocks, the latter of which ranks fourth in the NBA.

The two of them faced off for the second time this season last week, with Holmgren's Thunder coming away with a 140-114 win. They put on a show that even got chippy at times, making it clear that their rivalry will be one of the most exciting clashes to watch for years to come.

Brandon Miller hasn't gotten much attention while playing on a Charlotte Hornets team that ranks near the bottom of the NBA, but the 2023 No. 2 pick has quietly had a solid season with averages of 15.1 points, 3.9 rebounds and 2.3 assists.

There have been a few surprises this year among first-year players. Golden State Warriors guard Brandin Podziemski, Miami Heat forward Jaime Jaquez Jr. and Dallas Mavericks center Dereck Lively II are among those who have excelled in their roles for their respective teams.

The top second-year players will also be participating in the Rising Stars Challenge, with Orlando Magic star and 2023 Rookie of the Year Paolo Banchero headlining the group of sophomores.

Fans will also enjoy getting a look at some of the brightest players the G League has to offer, including G League Ignite stars Matas Buzelis and Ron Holland, who are both in contention to be selected with the No. 1 pick in the 2024 NBA draft.

This year's Rising Stars Challenge will feature a mini-tournament with four teams and three games. The 21 NBA rookies and sophomores will be drafted onto three seven-player teams with the seven G-League players making up the fourth squad.

The teams will be coached by WNBA legend Tamika Catchings and former NBA stars Pau Gasol, Jalen Rose and Detlef Schrempf. Catchings, Gasol and Rose will draft their teams on Feb. 6. Games will be played to a final target score of 40 in the semifinals and 25 in the final.

The games will be played on Friday, Feb. 16 at 9 p.m. ET at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.

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