Jeremy Lin and Iman Shumpert in NBA Slam Dunk Contest Rights 2 Wrongs

The NBA has been trying to figure out how to get Jeremy Lin into the All-Star weekend coming up and it appears that they have found another way to include not only the New York Knicks' point guard, but rookie shooting guard Iman Shumpert as well.

Both will be participants in the NBA Slam Dunk Contest coming up during All-Star Weekend with Shumpert doing the dunking and Lin setting him up. We saw something like this when Baron Davis helped Blake Griffin to his Slam Dunk Contest victory.

Lin's "Lincredible" rise to fame has earned him a spot in the NBA's All-Star Weekend.

It's quite evident why Commissioner David Stern wants to get this done: it's an international exposure for what otherwise would be a meaningless weekend full of celebrities, prop dunks and ultimately, the worst collective showing of defense during any given NBA season.

Lin now finds himself a part of two events according to the same report and he will be taking part in another event during the NBA All-Star Saturday Night.

But for Shumpert, it's a ticket to an honor he should have been given in the first place. Being one of the best defensive guards in the NBA during his rookie season, Shumpert has had a tough time standing out now that Lin has taken every beam of spotlight that exists.

Along with being top-five in steals, Shumpert is averaging 10 points and three assists and rebounds off the bench for New York. During the Knicks' seven-game winning streak, his defense has really shined and changed the course of a few of the Knicks' wins during the new "Jeremy Lin era."

The fact that Shump wasn't included in the Rising Stars game wasn't entirely surprising. There is an over-abundance of rookie guards this season which is understandable, but at least Shumpert will get his opportunity to show a portion of his athleticism during the All-Star Weekend.

Dunking isn't Shumpert's best skill, but I guess it's better than nothing for the rookie. Knicks' fans can attest to all the missed dunks Shumpert has had this season, so this should be interesting.

But with Lin helping him, as has been true during the regular season games already, Shumpert should have no problem stepping his game up and rising to the occasion.