I read that the NBA would be having a Skills Challenge at All-Star weekend. Does anybody have a clue as to what that is? What skills will be and who are the competitors, etc. It sounds cool but I have no idea what it entails.
link NEW YORK, Jan. 31 --Nine-time NBA All-Star Gary Payton of Seattle heads the list of participants in the 989 Sports Skills Challenge. The event will be held on NBA All-Star Saturday Night presented by America Online, Feb. 8 at Philips Arena in Atlanta. The 989 Sports Skills Challenge is a new event designed to highlight the NBA’s top point guards. It features four players competing in a timed “obstacle course” event consisting of dribbling, passing and shooting stations. In addition to Payton, Jason Kidd of the New Jersey Nets, Stephon Marbury of the Phoenix Suns and Tony Parker of the San Antonio Spurs will participate. The contestants in the 989 Sports Skills Challenge will be competing for $50,000 in prize money, with $25,000 going to the winner. Second place is worth $15,000 while third place and fourth place is worth $5,000 each. NBA All-Star Saturday Night presented by America Online, featuring 989 Sports Skills Challenge, Jeep All-Star Hoop-It-Up, 1 800 CALL ATT Shootout and the Sprite Rising Stars Slam Dunk will be broadcast live nationally at 8 p.m. EST on TNT and ESPN Radio. The 2003 NBA All-Star Game will be broadcast in 212 countries and 41 languages around the world and also on TNT, Rogers Sportsnet and ESPN RADIO and audio in several languages on NBA.com on Sunday, Feb. 9 at 8 p.m. ET.
I'd say GP wins too. But why did they just get all those PGs in a skills competition? If I am the organizer, I would get guys like KG, Dirk, Gasol and Yao. Watching big men to showcase all those small men skills is more fun.
My money's on Kidd, he's been shooting pretty well this season and I don't see why he can't bring it for the Skills Challenge. Is Francis in the 3 pt shoot out?
why did they put in tony parker? i'd much rather see white chocolate and his dribbling and passing skills. i know he can't throw it in the ocean but that guy is like pistol pete with everything else.
Didn't the NBA have a skill challange or something a few years ago(2 yrs) during the all star break(I think) in Hawaii. And as I recall Mobely won that challange.
I like GP to win it as well but as much as I don't like him, Stephon has a good chance to take it as well. It's not like there's defense in these challenges, if so I'd basically hand it to GP. He has as much O as any PG in the league and he's a pretty good shooter IMO.
