The NBA has officially announced the participants for the All-Star Saturday festivities in San Francisco on February 15, revealing today (via Twitter) which players will compete in the three-point contest and the skills challenge. Here are the details:
Three-Point Contest:
- Jalen Brunson (Knicks)
- Cade Cunningham (Pistons)
- Darius Garland (Cavaliers)
- Tyler Herro (Heat)
- Buddy Hield (Warriors)
- Cameron Johnson (Nets)
- Damian Lillard (Bucks)
- Norman Powell (Clippers)
Among this year’s participants, Powell (43.1%), Garland (42.9%), and Johnson (41.7%) have been the most accurate three-point shooters so far this season, while Herro (39.3% on 9.7 attempts per game) has been the most prolific.
Lillard won the event in both 2023 and 2024 and will be looking to become the first player since Craig Hodges in 1992 to claim the three-point title for a third consecutive year. Larry Bird was also a three-time winner, having achieved the feat in the first three years the NBA held the event (1986-88).
Hield is the only other player in this year’s field to have won the contest before, having done so in 2020. The Warriors wing will be the home team’s representative next Saturday.
Skills Challenge:
- Team Cavs: Donovan Mitchell and Evan Mobley
- Team Rooks: Zaccharie Risacher (Hawks) and Alex Sarr (Wizards)
- Team Spurs: Chris Paul and Victor Wembanyama
- Team Warriors: Draymond Green and Moses Moody
It appears the NBA will be tweaking the format of the skills challenge again in 2025, with the event set to feature four teams of two players apiece instead of three players per team.
Mobley was part of the Cavs team that won the event in 2022, along with Jarrett Allen and Garland. He’ll be teaming up with Mitchell this time around.
The NBA also officially confirmed the participants of the dunk contest earlier this week (Twitter link). Those four players, who had been previously reported, are Bulls rookie Matas Buzelis, Spurs rookie Stephon Castle, Bucks guard Andre Jackson, and Magic two-way guard Mac McClung.
Like Lillard in the three-point contest, McClung will be looking to three-peat in his event next Saturday night.