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Report: Robert Covington Expected to Compete in NBA All-Star Skills Challenge
February 28, 2021
Portland Trail Blazers forward Robert Covington will take part in the Skills Challenge ahead of next Sunday's All-Star Game, per Marc J. Spears of The Undefeated.
The Skills Challenge and Three-Point Contest will take place before the start of the All-Star Game in Atlanta on March 7, while the Slam Dunk Contest will be at halftime.
Covington entered Sunday averaging 7.3 points, 6.4 rebounds and 1.7 assists per game in 30 starts for Portland.
The 30-year-old has been quiet offensively this season, but he has proved himself as a versatile weapon with a career average of 12.3 points per game and 35.4 percent three-point shooting.
As Spears noted, the Tennessee State product is also the only HBCU player in the NBA.
The NBA plans to honor historically Black colleges and universities at the All-Star Game this year, with the league and players association pledging a combined $2.5 million to the schools plus COVID-19 relief.
While the full field is yet to be announced, Covington likely will have plenty of competition.
Jayson Tatum, who won the event in 2019, said Sunday he will either do the Skills Challenge or Three-Point Contest, per Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe. The battle usually features plenty of big names, with Bam Adebayo winning last year while Dwyane Wade, Steve Nash and Damian Lillard are among those who have won in the past.