
Zion Williamson, Luka Doncic Top USA vs. World NBA Rising Stars 2020 Rosters
Prized New Orleans Pelicans rookie Zion Williamson headlines the rosters released Friday for the 2020 NBA Rising Stars Game, which will be played Feb. 14 at the United Center in Chicago.
Williamson, the No. 1 pick in the 2019 draft, was selected despite playing just four games since recovering from October knee surgery. His potential has already been evident, however, as he's averaged 18 points and 8.3 rebounds while shooting 63.3 percent from the field.
He's joined by the Dallas Mavericks' Luka Doncic and Atlanta Hawks' Trae Young as part of the annual All-Star Weekend showcase that features the league's top first- and second-year players.
Here's a look at the complete rosters:
Team USA
Miles Bridges (Charlotte Hornets)
Wendell Carter Jr. (Chicago Bulls)
Devonte' Graham (Charlotte Hornets)
Tyler Herro (Miami Heat)
Jaren Jackson Jr. (Memphis Grizzlies)
Ja Morant (Memphis Grizzlies)
Kendrick Nunn (Miami Heat)
Eric Paschall (Golden State Warriors)
P.J. Washington (Charlotte Hornets)
Zion Williamson (New Orleans Pelicans)
Trae Young (Atlanta Hawks)
Team World
Nickeil Alexander-Walker (New Orleans Pelicans)
Deandre Ayton (Phoenix Suns)
RJ Barrett (New York Knicks)
Brandon Clarke (Memphis Grizzlies)
Luka Doncic (Dallas Mavericks)
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (Oklahoma City Thunder)
Rui Hachimura (Washington Wizards)
Svi Mykhailiuk (Detroit Pistons)
Josh Okogie (Minnesota Timberwolves)
Moritz Wagner (Washington Wizards)
The Rising Stars Challenge, which debuted in 1994, has a rich history, with an MVP list that includes Allen Iverson, Gilbert Arenas, Amar'e Stoudemire, Carmelo Anthony, Kevin Durant, John Wall and Kyrie Irving.
Kyle Kuzma of the Los Angeles Lakers won the award last year after scoring a game-high 35 points to lead Team USA to a 161-144 victory.
"There was a lot of great players out there, All-Stars. We're all young rising stars in this league," Kuzma told reporters last year. "Obviously it's an exhibition, but it's always better to have bragging rights whenever you can."
Those comments proved prophetic, as five players from last year's Rising Stars Game earned a place in this season's All-Star Game: Doncic, Young, Donovan Mitchell (Utah Jazz), Ben Simmons (Philadelphia 76ers) and Jayson Tatum (Boston Celtics).
Doncic and Young return to the Rising Stars this year.
Team World holds a 3-2 edge since the game's format switched away from having former NBA players serve as captains of the two squads in 2015. Before that, the league had tried a few different styles, most commonly a head-to-head matchup between the rookies and sophomores.
Tipoff for the 2020 NBA Rising Stars Game is scheduled for 9 p.m. ET on Feb. 14 with a national broadcast on TNT.
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