Shams Charania: Sources @TheAthleticNBA @WatchStadium: Mavericks future Hall of Famer Dirk Nowitzki has committed to the NBA 3-point shootout at All-Star weekend. So Dallas will have Nowitzki in 3-point shootout, Dennis Smith Jr. in Dunk Contest and Luka Doncic in Skills Competition.
More on All-Star Contests
Golden State Warriors star Stephen Curry plans to join his brother Seth Curry of the Portland Trail Blazers in the NBA All-Star Weekend 3-point contest in Charlotte, North Carolina, Stephen told ESPN on Friday night. The competition will take place Feb. 16. The Currys grew up in Charlotte, and Stephen was an All-American at nearby Davidson College.
Brad Townsend: Doncic on if he's looking forward to the skills competition and All-Star weekend: "Yeah, for sure. Obviously I can’t do slam dunk. But yeah, I’m excited to go in the skills challenge and have fun."
Golden State Warriors star Stephen Curry has been invited to participate in the NBA 3-Point Contest at All-Star Weekend in his hometown of Charlotte, North Carolina, league sources told Yahoo Sports. The league is still rounding out its list of contestants for the Feb. 16 event, sources said.
It will be a full weekend for Celtics forward Jayson Tatum at All-Star Weekend in Charlotte, as he was invited to and will participate in the Skills Challenge during the Saturday session, according to an NBA source. Tatum, 20, is also expected to participate in the Rising Stars Challenge on Feb. 15 at Charlotte’s Spectrum Center. The invitation for Tatum to the Skills Challenge is a sign of respect for his ascension in the league.
The Vertical: We received a response from @Joe Ingles himself in reference to our petition to get him in the Skills Challenge. Not the answer we were hoping for. pic.twitter.com/dV4N5tPe4P
Charlotte, North Carolina, will be the site of this year’s NBA All-Star Weekend in February, but Utah Jazz forward Joe Ingles doesn’t plan on being anywhere near the area. Despite a Yahoo Sports petition being started last week to get him in the Skills Challenge, Ingles would rather spend the time with his wife, Renae, and twin children far, far away from the festivities. “You know exactly what my thoughts are on that. You know what my answer’s going to be. I’m going on vacation,” Ingles said. “I’m going to spend time with my kids and my wife. That’s it.”
As of Wednesday morning, ahead of Utah’s game versus Denver, more than 2,400 people had signed the petition with a 2,500 goal in mind. Ingles’ teammate Donovan Mitchell even shared it via social media with the Twitter hashtag #Joe2Skills, while the Yahoo Sports staff has continued to promote it across the web. While most would be flattered, Ingles is different. “I don’t know who started it,” Ingles said. “I don’t know why they started it, they should’ve known the answer. I’m having some time off.”
Marc Stein: Dirk Nowitzki has been invited to participate in the 3-point contest at All-Star Weekend in Charlotte, league sources say.
Marc Stein: It will be Nowitzki's sixth career entry into the Long Distance Shootout ... in his 21st (and possibly last) season. The lifelong Dallas Maverick won the 3-point crown in 2006.
Marco Belinelli wants to see Davis Bertans stay busy over the All-Star break. The winner of the 3-point contest at the 2014 NBA All-Star Weekend in New Orleans is endorsing Bertans for this year's long-ball showcase. "One-hundred percent, no question about it, he should be invited," said Belinelli, the only Spur to ever win the 3-point contest.
Scott Agness: I asked Victor Oladipo about the All-Star Dunk Contest and whether he’d do it a third time. “Never again,” he said. “I’m done with the dunk contest.”
Barry Jackson: Derrick Jones Jr said he has not received word on whether he will be invited to slam dunk contest all star weekend but will participate if invited
Eric Walden: Donovan, on why he's skipping the Dunk Contest this year: "I remember last year when I came back from All-Star [weekend], I was tired. … We haven’t really taken off like we thought we would have, so … it would be better just to rest and mentally be focused for the second half." pic.twitter.com/5H57wzjpNk
Utah Jazz star Donovan Mitchell broke into the national spotlight during NBA All-Star Weekend in Los Angeles last year after winning the Slam Dunk contest. However, the second-year guard won’t be defending his crown at NBA All-Star Weekend in Charlotte this February at the Spectrum Center. Although he isn’t competing in the dunk contest, Deseret News sources say he hasn’t ruled out the Rising Stars Game on Friday, Feb. 15.
“I loved doing the dunk contest last year and it was a ton of fun, but I also know it takes a lot of focus, practice and preparation,” Mitchell told the Deseret News. “Right now, my mind is really on helping my team make a deep run (in the) second half of the season. I’m excited though for the weekend, I’m going to be able to be a part of some great events.”
Carmichael Dave: I’m told the Sacramento Kings will have 4 representatives invited to all star weekend in Charlotte. Buddy Hield in the 3 point contest, and De’Aaron Fox, Bogdan Bogdanovic, and Marvin Bagley in the Rising Stars Challenge. No word if Fox will be in the Skills Competition.
A campaign definitely isn't coming from Lopez. He made that clear in the visiting locker room at the Pepsi Center in Denver after connecting on a career-high 8 three-pointers Nov. 11 – the night he began to be called by the nickname "Splash Mountain." The last time he campaigned for something was for a student government position in high school and he finished last. That was enough for him to decide he isn't a very good politician or campaigner. “That would be pretty wild, it would be fun," Lopez said of potentially being included in the contest. “I’m just going to go out and do what I do on the court and if it happens that would be great.”
Comparing Lopez's numbers to those of shooters who participated in last year's three-point contest, Lopez has more three-pointers than Bradley Beal, Tobias Harris and winner Devin Booker had at this point last season. His percentage (37.4) is also higher than what Beal and Eric Gordon had through 40 games. “Of course, I’d put my money on it, yeah," said Tony Snell, who is Lopez's shooting partner in post-practice three-point shooting games, when asked if Lopez deserved a spot in the competition. “That would put the icing on the cake, man.”
Lopez has made seven or more three-pointers in three games this season, something only Stephen Curry (six), James Harden (six) and Kemba Walker (four) have done more often. Only Harden and Lopez have recorded back-to-back games of seven or more three-pointers.
Participants in the 2019 NBA Three-Point Contest will be announced in the coming weeks, and the Brooklyn Nets are in the midst of an all-out campaign for sharpshooter Joe Harris.
Ira Winderman: Heat's Derrick Jones Jr. celebrates his leap year. sun-sentinel.com/sports/miami-h… And, yes, he would welcome an invitation to return to the dunk contest, "If they call me when I'm 32, trust me, I'm in that dunk contest. I'm not going to turn that down. That's a whole lot of fun."
With Vince Carter in the midst of his 21st NBA season, there's been a movement among some to recruit him to compete in February's dunk contest at All-Star weekend. But Carter says it's not going to happen, and that's because he knows he can't come close to replicating his legendary performance in 2000. "I don't think about doing it," the Atlanta Hawks veteran told teammate Kent Bazemore and Annie Finberg on The Ringer's "Winging It" podcast. "We all ... go back and talk about the dunk contest from 2000 and what it did for people and where you were and all of that, and I know what it did for me. So I feel like to taint it, 18-19 years later, why?"
Orlando Magic forward Aaron Gordon electrified the NBA world in the Slam Dunk Contest in 2016 and ’17, and he was expected to return to do the same this season in Charlotte, North Carolina. Instead, he’s taking a step back. “No, I’m not doing it [this year],” Gordon told Yahoo Sports. “It’s more focusing on winning and becoming a complete player and getting to the playoffs.”
But the 7-foot “Cajun Kid’’ has another dream — being in Charlotte during All-Star Weekend in February. The 20-year-old’s pie-in-the-sky hope is hitting the daily double — being selected to the Rookie-Sophomore All-Star Game then competing in the slam-dunk contest. “It’s crossed my mind,’’ Robinson told The Post after setting the Knicks’ rookie record for blocks with nine Sunday against the Magic. “I always wanted to be in one — a dunk contest. If I have a chance, why not go for it. And if I get selected for that [the rookie-sophomore game], it would be great, too. It’s a big dream of mine. Maybe I can do both.’’
Omari Sanfoka II: Jaren Jackson Jr. says he hopes his former teammate at Michigan State, Miles Bridges, makes the dunk contest. "If he's there, then I gotta go. I just want to go so I can put on a fit and be there on the sideline. I gotta have an excuse to wear something."
Tim MacMahon: Dennis Smith Jr. “I’m not doing the dunk contest this year.” He adds that “the gimmicks and everything that go with it, I’m not with it.”
GRIII was rooting on his teammate, Victor Oladipo, in the dunk contest. Oladipo had approached Robinson III about doing the dunk contest and handling his unfinished business. A thoughtful, nice gesture. And now Glenn wants his own shot. Upon returning to Indianapolis for the final two months of the season, Robinson III told VigilantSports.com that he wants in another Slam Dunk Contest at All-Star Weekend. He won in 2017 and would like the chance to defend his crown.
NBA 2K18 MyTEAM: Congrats to the #NBA Skills champ, Spencer Dinwiddie! Grab his new Diamond Moments Card on #NBA2K18 now! Spencer Dinwiddie: Momma I made it! :sob:...I’ll even forgive y’all for not @ me
James on never participating in the Dunk Contest - "There were multiple years when I seriously considered entering the Dunk Contest. One year, I don’t remember what year, it was maybe ’05 or ’06, I injured my ankle two games before the Dunk Contest. And then I had one time ... I think I got injured before the All-Star break once again and I didn’t want to test jumping on my leg and jumping on my ankle and then have to play in the game the following day. I think about it all the time actually. I know, at this point I’m probably never going to do it, but I’ve thought about it year after year after year. You see the guys that we have in our Dunk Contest this year and the age, no. I’m gonna stay away from it now."
As Donovan Mitchell left the press room of the Staples Center, trophy in hand, his heels dragged against the carpet. He hadn’t eaten all day. How could he? As he faced the realization of a childhood ambition for hours leading up to Saturday night, all other thoughts fell by the wayside. “Believe it or not,” he said, “I’ve been preparing for this since I was a kid.”
Jovan Buha: Donovan Mitchell says he's been practicing for the dunk contest since he was a kid. Mitchell on the difference between now and then: "I didn't know I'd be able to jump this high, so I kind of added a few more tricks." espn.com/espn/now?nowId… pic.twitter.com/GwFD4b4prj
Aaron Gordon: BIG SHOUTOUT @Donovan Mitchell for winning the dunk contest!!! Well done Brody. #morethanadunker
Ryan Wolstat: Devin Booker wins the three-point shootout with 28, beating Klay Thompson and Tobias Harris. Klay had 25
Derek Bodner: Devin Booker: "My preparation was none. My rookie year I stayed at the gym extra, shot off the rack a lot more. This time I just got here, practiced right before I went out there and ended up coming out with the win."
Mark Medina: Klay Thompson on if he will play 3-point shootout in Charlotte next year. "Maybe. We'll see. It's a long ways away man. Just trying to get through the weekend." Steph expressed uncertainty earlier this week, too.
Chris Dempsey: Jamal Murray wants to participate in it again. "I want to do the skills again. It’s a fun event. A lot of people want to pass over the skills and just go to the dunk contest or the 3-point contest. But to watch it and be in it are two different things. It was a lot of fun."
Brian Lewis: Dinwiddie: "That's one of the marks of my game is being able to affect the game in multiple ways, whether it be passing, defending or scoring. Good thing they didn't have a rebounding challenge..in this or I wouldn't have won" #Nets
Brian Lewis: Spencer Dinwiddie became only the 2nd #Nets player to win the #NBA All-Star Skills Challenge. He joined Hall of Fame finalist Jason Kidd, who won the inaugural event in 2003.
Caris LeVert: Yeahhhhhh Spence @Spencer Dinwiddie
Eric Woodyard: Brooklyn’s Spencer Dinwiddie wins the 2018 Taco Bell Skills Challenge.
Eddie Sefko: Dennis Smith on if he'll try to do anything Jordanesque tonight in the dunk contest: “Everybody can’t be like Mike. I’m just trying to go out and win it."
Chris Haynes: LeBron James said there were multiple years he seriously considered entering Slam Dunk Contest, but says minor injuries occurred. The 05-06 season was a year he intended to compete in.
With 19,067 people mostly on their feet in Staples Center, Baron Davis stuck his head out of the sunroof while wearing Los Angeles Clippers warm-up gear and a red headband. His Clippers teammate Blake Griffin needed a memorable dunk as JaVale McGee was eying the trophy in 2011. While the Kia Ultima wasn’t Griffin’s car of choice, he made it work. And in one of the most memorable and debated NBA All-Star Slam Dunk Championships, Griffin sealed the victory by jumping over the silver sedan, somehow having the timing to catch a misplaced one-handed lob pass by Davis and dunking the basketball hard with two hands. “I was worried that I wasn’t going to get the dunk down,” Griffin said. “The idea was to windmill it. It was a little high. So, then I was just like, ‘Dunk it.’ So right after I dunked it, I came down and I was pissed because I didn’t think it was going to be good enough. But it worked out. But like everything, there was controversy.”
DeRozan offered a strong remake of former slam dunk champion J.R. Rider’s “East Bay funk dunk” by taking the ball through his legs in the air before jamming it. Somehow, he only received a score of 44. The Compton, California, kid was perfect on his second dunk, receiving a 50 after he threw the ball in the air, scooped it with his right hand, turned his back to the basket and finished with an acrobatic dunk. “I put a lot of thoughts into my dunks and executed them as planned,” DeRozan said. “Most definitely, I thought I did everything in my power to be in a position to win the event.”
McGee’s final dunk was a fierce slam off the backboard in which he came from the left side, was well above the rim, caught the ball up high with his right hand and dunked it in. Despite the creativity, McGee said he didn’t spend a lot of time preparing for the contest. “I didn’t put a lot of time or effort in, to tell the truth,” McGee said. “I [created] all my dunks at the practice. The two-rim dunk I didn’t create until the practice day.” While McGee’s final dunk was acrobatic, it didn’t have the flair that Griffin saved for last.
On his way over here, Warriors guard Stephen Curry asked Klay Thompson a simple question. Does Thompson plan to practice before competing in the NBA 3-point competition on Saturday as part of NBA All-Star weekend? “He said no,” Curry said. “So I’m taking Klay. That means he’s going to be locked in.”
Larry Nance Jr. has envisioned what would happen if he follows up his father’s victory in the NBA’s inaugural Slam Dunk Contest in 1984 with a triumph of his own during All-Star Saturday night at Staples Center in Los Angeles. “It’s fun to talk about, sit around the house with my fiancee,” Nance said. “Like, ‘How cool would it be, at home we have mine next to his, we’d be able to hold them up and take a picture?’ I’m just excited to get the opportunity to try.”
As for tips from Dad, who played for the Cavs from 1987-94, Nance said: “Make the first one. I don’t want to be that guy that’s out there missing.” The contest requires a prop or a partner, frequently a teammate or old teammate. If his is Larry Sr., he wouldn’t let on.
“Every now and again we’d get to talking trash and he’d pull out the VHS tapes of him winning the dunk contest set to the corny background music,” Larry Jr. said after the Cavs’ victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder on Tuesday night at Chesapeake Energy Arena. “It was almost like a family tradition every year.”
Quavo, one-third of superstar hip hop outfit Migos, has become known for his athletic exploits, and he showed them off in an MVP-winning performance during the All-Star Celebrity Game on Friday night. Playing for Team Clippers, he finished with 19 points, five rebounds and three assists on 7-of-10 shooting in a 75-66 win.
Daryl Morey: Love @Rachel__Nichols preaching the Ruffles 4 point shot! Antoine Walker needs to be on your team Rachel... #RufflesCelebGame
Chris Dempsey: Jamal Murray, on trying to win a second Rising Stars MVP tonight: "We'll see what happens. I'm going to get hot again. Just do what I do best and take it from there." #Nuggets
Chris Dempsey: Murray, on getting into L.A. at 2:15 a.m. and having to get right back up a few hours later for Rising Stars practice: "It's part of it. Can't overthink it. It is what it is right now. Hope I've got enough in me for the game." #Nuggets
Marc Berman: Ntilikina on Mudiay advice on Rookie-Soph game: “He told me how it was, talked to me about the mindset for this game. He just told me to show what you can do. Shoot the ball, enjoy the moment. When you get it, shoot the ball.”
CJ McCollum will not be playing in the All-Star game on Sunday, which is understandable, because of the logjam of great players in the West. He was a near-miss on that front. But less understandable is the snubbing he got from the NBA in the 3-Point Contest. He has been in it the past two years, and he is shooting 42.1 percent from the arc this year — better than six of the eight players who will be shooting on Saturday night. So I asked McCollum why he was not part of the Saturday night contest. "That’s a great question," he said. "I think there are a lot of people who shoot the ball extremely well. Can’t be in it every year, right? Unless you win it every year."
CJ McCollum is expecting to get such an All-Star experience of his own, eventually. "As a competitor, you always want to receive the best rewards," he said. "But you understand that it is a team sport, and you understand the better your team plays, the more you are rewarded. There are a lot of players who could have been voted into the All-Star game, a lot of players in the East and Western Conference, moreso the West. "But it’s the NBA, it’s tough and I feel like at some point, I will make the All-Star team."
Question: How do you prepare for the dunk contest? Dennis Smith: "I really can’t say. It will be different for some guys. You just go out there and strut your stuff. Everybody has a rehearsal Thursday. I am going to go out there and see how that goes, see what kind of dunks I will use, and then I will be ready for it."
Jason Jones: After being examined by doctors in Sacramento, De’Aaron Fox is expected to play in the Rising Stars game tomorrow. Received stitches in his chin and above his right eye after a hard fall last night in Houston
The only guys who don't seem impressed are the players themselves. Not Ben Simmons, the No. 1 pick of the 2016 draft from LSU who had to sit out a year with a foot injury but expected to hit the ground running once he could play. "I mean I'm here for a reason and obviously Philly chose me for a reason, and I've spoken to Brett (Brown) a lot when I was hurt and he wanted me to run the team and be the point guard," the Australian said. "So I know he trusts me and has faith in me, and for myself I know I definitely trust and believe in myself."
Same with Kyle Kuzma, even though he came into the league from Utah with far less fanfare after being taken with the No. 27 pick, which belonged to Brooklyn and was traded to the Lakers. He's gone on to average nearly 16 points and join Hall of Famers Jerry West and Elgin Baylor as the only Lakers rookies with three straight games of 25 or more. "It's pretty cool any time you're mentioned with guys that are Hall of Famers or very important to this game's history," Kuzma said. "I kind of knew I was going to play well," he added. "If you don't have that confidence then you shouldn't be playing really."
Oladipo dealt with trade rumors in his first three seasons in Orlando, had a unique learning experience alongside Russell Westbrook last season with the Thunder, and now has his mind on All-Star Weekend with the Pacers. He’s also starring in his return to Indiana, where he played collegiately for the Hoosiers. “Being able to play in the game, it’s going to be surreal,” Oladipo said. “Having my family and friends there for the entire weekend, it’s going to be a good time for me. I’ve watched it twice as a Rising Star, not going at all and viewing the whole weekend — it’s important to be there. It’s a weekend NBA players all look forward to, and to be part of it is an honor. Representing this team as an All-Star is important to me, and it will be a special weekend doing the dunk contest and my first All-Star Game.”
Scott Agness: Oladipo says he hasn’t started to think about or plan for the dunk contest, that his goal is to go in and have fun … but I think he’s downplaying it. He’ll shift his focus Wednesday night after their game in Brooklyn.
Tracy McGrady (guard/forward, Toronto Raptors): I just felt like I wasn't a creative dunker like that. I was like, "Why would I want to get into it knowing that [Vince is] gonna win?" I see his dunks every day and how creative he is. [1] Vince Carter: Until the last minute, I think after [practice one day] we were fooling around -- he was doing some stuff, throwing the ball off the wall, just all kinds of stuff -- and he finally was like, "All right, I'm gonna do it." It was tough. Even prior to [All-Star Saturday], maybe Thursday, he was like, "Man, I don't think I wanna do it." He was gonna back out!
Francis: That was my first dunk contest. [I'd been in ones] in the 'hoods and in the streets, yeah, but nothing professional. Every dunk that I did in the dunk contest in Oakland -- I practiced zero dunks. Zero. You can ask the coach, the GM, anybody. I didn't even practice any of them. Dave Haggith (manager of media relations, Toronto Raptors): That was the thing that amazed me the most. On the night of the dunk contest, I hadn't seen any of those dunks from either [Vince or Tracy] before.
Vince Carter: I didn't hear anything. The yell -- it was so loud, it was like I was in a box screaming with nobody else there. I just went numb for a second. ... That dunk I did in San Antonio. Barely made it. So that's why I scratched [it]. That dunk was a scratch. But then all of a sudden, I was like, "The hell with it. Let's go." As I took that first dribble, and if you watch it on the second dribble I smacked the ball real hard and that's when I felt like I powered up, you know, like Mario Bros. And I just felt like I gained two, three inches [when I jumped]. When I took off and turned around, the rim was right here [at eye level]. It took minutes for the crowd to calm down, long enough for Stackhouse and Davis to complete their first-round dunks in relative anonymity. "[Stackhouse] was just shaking his shoulders, like, 'Really?'" Miller says.
Vince Carter: They didn't quite tell us about the partner thing, so we didn't practice that at all. I didn't know. So I was like, "What the heck could I do?" I had saw in a magazine -- this is about the time the Strength Shoe was out -- and there was a picture of this guy in the air and he had his hands between his legs, jumping up in the air. So I said, "OK, I'm gonna try it." So I said to Tracy: "Just stand here and bounce it and get the hell out the way." He said, "What are you gonna do?" I said, "Just bounce it and back up. About this high."
Vince Carter: Once I got the trophy, I'm walking off to the back. I'm a Dr. J fan. He's my idol, the guy who I looked up to. That was the first guy that shook my hand and congratulated me once I got off the court. Best thing ever. He came and said, "Young fella, congratulations," and we took a picture holding the trophy with my friends. And I still have it today.
Donovan Mitchell: Career night for the old man 🙏🏾🙏🏾 @Joeingles7 let’s keep it going !!!. Joe Ingles: only reason u in dunk competition is coz my passes make u look good.
Jared Weiss: Kemba Walker has replaced Kristaps Porzingis in the All-Star game and Andre Drummond will replace The Unicorn in the Skills Challenge.
The Australian Labor Party member goes on to say that he also can’t believe Joe Ingles was left out of the 3-point contest, and (jokingly?) says: “It makes me think there is some kind of anti-Australian conspiracy going on at the league head office at the moment. If you thought that Australia was angry about The Simpsons versus Australia TV episode, you ain’t seen nothing yet, Yanks.”
Mike Bresnahan: Lonzo Ball (knee) isn’t certain he’ll play in the Rising Stars game a week from Friday. “If my body won’t let me, then I can’t do it,” he said Wednesday. All-Star weekend will be at Staples Center.
