We already know who will participate during the 2017 NBA All-Star Game. The starting lineups for both sides have been out for a few weeks, while we learned last Thursday which players earned spots on the bench.
However, we still didn’t know who was going to compete during the State Farm All-Star Saturday Night competitions. On Thursday, we learned which players will compete in the night’s three marquee events: the skills challenge, the three-point contest, and the dunk contest. Here’s who will show off their skills on Saturday.
Skills Challenge: Kristaps Porzingis, DeMarcus Cousins, Anthony Davis, Joel Embiid, Isaiah Thomas, Gordon Hayward, John Wall, Devin Booker
Three-Point Contest: Kyle Lowry, Klay Thompson, Kyrie Irving, Wesley Matthews, Kemba Walker, Nick Young, CJ McCollum, Eric Gordon
Slam Dunk Contest: Aaron Gordon, DeAndre Jordan, Glenn Robinson III, Derrick Jones Jr.
Per usual, all eyes went right to the dunk contest, namely because everyone wanted to see if two-time defending champ Zach LaVine and last year’s runner up Aaron Gordon would go head-to-head after 2016’s legendary competition. However, with LaVine out, we’ll have to settle for Gordon doing awesome things in the dunk contest again with the highly-anticipated debut of DeAndre Jordan. Additionally, look out for Derrick Jones Jr., the darkhorse who shouldn’t be a darkhorse (if you want, you can argue that he’s the favorite to win the whole thing, because he’s ridiculous).
The three-point contest is headlined by Kyrie Irving and defending champion Klay Thompson, but Nick Young’s inclusion certainly will make things a little swaggier in New Orleans. In the Skills Competition, it’s all about Kristaps Porzingis and Joel Embiid, who will look to make it back-to-back years where a young big man has taken home the title after Karl-Anthony Towns won a year ago.
