By now you probably know: The Golden State Warriors will be featured tonight during All-Star Saturday. Face of the franchise Steph Curry will be lacing up his Under Armour sneakers to compete against his brother, Seth Curry of the Portland Trail Blazers in the three-point contest.
But even beyond the Warriors connection, there’s a lot of excitement surrounding the Saturday events, which generally feature a little bit more competition than what transpires during the actual All-Star Game.
The night kicks off at 5:00 p.m. PT in Charlotte, on TNT. Here are the three events, in the order that they’ll appear in.
Taco Bell Skills Challenge
The Skills Challenge is always a little bit silly, as players kind of just go through the motions, and you’re really just watching them do drills. Still, watching NBA players dribble, pass, and shoot is a reminder of just how talented these individuals are.
Here’s the lineup:
Mike Conley (Memphis Grizzlies)
Luka Doncic (Dallas Mavericks)
De’Aaron Fox (Sacramento Kings)
Nikola Jokic (Denver Nuggets)
Kyle Kuzma (Los Angeles Lakers)
Jayson Tatum (Boston Celtics)
Nikola Vucevic (Orlando Magic)
Trae Young (Atlanta Hawks)
That’s a pretty great lineup, featuring two of the league’s top rookies, three dazzling sophomores, one stellar veteran, and a pair of first-time All-Star selections who share a first name.
The event was surprisingly intense last year, so look for more of the same this year.
My pick: De’Aaron Fox
MTN DEW 3-Point Contest
Here’s what we’re all most excited about. Not only does this event feature Curry, but it’s become the most exciting and fun event on All-Star Saturday in recent years.
It would be better if Klay Thompson had opted to compete, but as it is, it’s a very exciting field:
Devin Booker (Phoenix Suns)
Seth Curry (Portland Trail Blazers)
Stephen Curry (Golden State Warriors)
Danny Green (Toronto Raptors)
Joe Harris (Brooklyn Nets)
Buddy Hield (Sacramento Kings)
Damian Lillard (Portland Trail Blazers)
Khris Middleton (Milwaukee Bucks)
Dirk Nowitzki (Dallas Mavericks)
Kemba Walker (Charlotte Hornets)
We’ve got Curry vs. Curry. We’ve got the legend Dirk, playing in his 21st season, who won the contest 13 years ago. We’ve got the home player, Walker. We’ve got Booker, who put on an absolute show in a thrilling victory over Thompson a year ago.
What’s not to like?!
My pick: Steph Curry
AT&T Slam Dunk Contest
The Slam Dunk Contest is still the night’s signature event. And in recent years, it’s started to make a comeback in terms of quality, even though last year was a little bit of a dud.
This year’s lineup could really put on a show.
Miles Bridges (Charlotte Hornets)
John Collins (Atlanta Hawks)
Hamidou Diallo (Oklahoma City Thunder)
Dennis Smith Jr. (New York Knicks)
There’s not a lot of star talent there, but don’t get confused: These players can absolutely fly.
My pick: Miles Bridges
Enjoy All-Star Saturday, everyone! And if you’re watching, join us in the comments to discuss all the night’s action.