Account
NBA Slam Dunk, 3-Point, Skills Challenge Participants Announced
February 2, 2018
The field is set for State Farm All-Star Saturday Night in Los Angeles on Feb. 17.
The NBA announced the contenders for the Skills Challenge, Three-Point Contest and Slam Dunk Contest, as playmakers such as Klay Thompson, Joel Embiid and Paul George will put on a show for the fans on the eve of the All-Star Game at the Staples Center.
Skills Competition
Lou Williams, Los Angeles Clippers
Jamal Murray, Denver Nuggets
Spencer Dinwiddie, Brooklyn Nets
Al Horford, Boston Celtics
Joel Embiid, Philadelphia 76ers
Kristaps Porzingis, New York Knicks
Donovan Mitchell, Utah Jazz
Lauri Markkanen, Chicago Bulls
Three-Point Contest
Klay Thompson, Golden State Warriors
Paul George, Oklahoma City Thunder
Devin Booker, Phoenix Suns
Bradley Beal, Washington Wizards
Wayne Ellington, Miami Heat
Kyle Lowry, Toronto Raptors
Eric Gordon, Houston Rockets
Tobias Harris, Los Angeles Clippers
Dunk Contest
Victor Oladipo, Indiana Pacers
Aaron Gordon, Orlando Magic
Larry Nance Jr., Los Angeles Lakers
Dennis Smith Jr., Dallas Mavericks
The Skills Challenge brings an intriguing field, considering big men Embiid, Al Horford and Kristaps Porzingis—who are all All-Stars—are representative of the NBA's new-age centers. They all stretch their games to the outside and facilitate much of the offense by shooting from three, operating from the high elbow and putting the ball on the floor.
Two of the league's most exciting rookies, Donovan Mitchell and Lauri Markkanen, will challenge them, but the youngsters will have to overcome Porzingis, who is the reigning champ.
There is no shortage of star power in the Three-Point Contest either, with Thompson, George, Bradley Beal and Kyle Lowry each All-Stars as well.
Thompson won in 2016 and figures to set the tone as the representative of the three-point happy Warriors who overwhelm opponents with shooting. He is hitting a career-best 45.4 percent from deep this season as well, but Eric Gordon is the defending champion and will have something to say about it.
Throughout history, the Slam Dunk Contest has been the pre-eminent event at All-Star Saturday Night as names such as Michael Jordan, Dominique Wilkins, Vince Carter and Blake Griffin defied the laws of gravity and threw down some of the most memorable jams in NBA history.
This year's field is missing some of the Hall of Fame names of seasons past, but Victor Oladipo is an All-Star and will look to keep the title in Indiana after Glenn Robinson III won last season.
There is also the Aaron Gordon storyline. He is hoping the third time is a charm after dueling with Zach LaVine and coming up just short in 2016 and falling to Robinson last year.