Feb 17, 2013; Houston, TX, USA; Western Conference forward Kevin Durant (35) of the Oklahoma City Thunder dunks in the second half of the 2013 NBA all star game at the Toyota Center. West won 143-138. Mandatory Credit: Eric Gay/AP-Pool Photo USA TODAY Sports

Kevin Durant became the first player in NBA All-Star history to score 30 or more points in three consecutive All-Star Games Sunday night as the Western Conference beat the Eastern Conference 143-138 in Houston, Texas.

Durant scored 30 points on 13-of-24 shooting in the win. He also added six rebounds as he played a game-high 31 minutes.

Chris Paul was named the MVP of the game for his 20-point, 15-assist, 4-steal effort. Paul shot 7-of-10 from the field and made 4-of-5 threes.

This game is always dominated by point guards and Paul was the best one last night. We knew he would get the assists but scoring 20 as well made him a no-brainer for the MVP.

LeBron James 19 points and five assists and shot 7-for-18 from the field which is ironic considering his gaudy shooting numbers coming into this game.

Kobe Bryant started checking LeBron late in the fourth quarter and actually blocked his shot twice, once from behind when LeBron went for a pull-up jumper and then on a drive Kobe would swat a LeBron layup attempt out of bounds.

This was the first time since the trade that Durant, Russell Westbrook and James Harden played together on the same team. They played together for a few minutes in the first half and displayed some of the chemistry they had back when they were teammates most notably when Harden found Westbrook for an alley-oop.

Westbrook had 14 points, four rebounds and three assists. Harden – in front of his new home crowd – had 15 points, six boards and three assists.

The Eastern Conference amazingly shot under 50 percent for the game.

The teams will be off today as well then the regular season will start again on Tuesday. The Thunder will play next in Houston Wednesday night.

The trade deadline is coming up Thursday, Feb. 21 at 3 p.m. EST.

http://instagram.com/p/V2QaLyiiGR/

One of the most memorable storylines in the 2012 NBA Playoffs was the outfits of Oklahoma City Thunder point guard Russell Westbrook.

Westbrook was seemingly wearing a crazier shirt in postgame interviews the deeper and deeper the Thunder went into the playoffs.

Now for the 2013 NBA All-Star Weekend, Westbrook is taking his game to a new level.

This outfit is just ridiculous. There’s a lot of Pee-wee Herman going on here, maybe some Pinocchio and then some other weird stuff.

I don’t care how cool you are, this is pretty much impossible to pull off. There is no reason to go this far and ever look like this, especially if you are an NBA player. Westbrook is an interesting dude though.

Westbrook will come off the bench for the Western Conference tonight as the All-Star Game will tip-off at 8 p.m. EST. Who knows what he’ll be wearing after the game.

Feb 16, 2013; Houston, TX, USA; Western Conference forward Kevin Durant (35) of the Oklahoma City Thunder and guard Kobe Bryant (24) of the Los Angeles Lakers react during practice for the 2013 NBA All-Star game at the George R. Brown Convention Center. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports

The 62nd NBA All-Star Game will take place tonight in Houston, Texas at 8 p.m. EST.

Just about all of the stars will be out with the Western Conference being led by Kevin Durant and the Eastern Conference LeBron James.

The Western Conference won the game last year 152-49 and Durant was named MVP after scoring 36 points to lead his team.

Who is going to win this year? Can the West take down the East again?

The biggest change this year is Dwight Howard switching over to the Western Conference. This may not be a good thing for the West though because Howard is known for not trying very hard in these games and becoming more of a hindrance than anything else.

Rajon Rondo was voted to start at point guard for the Eastern Conference but will obviously not anymore. Chris Bosh is replacing Rondo in the starting lineup which means LeBron will essentially start at point guard.

LeBron is having one of the best seasons of his career and currently in a stretch of games where he is playing better than ever. He will obviously start the game trying to get others involved. Don’t be surprised if we see LeBron with five-plus assists after the first quarter.

This game is always dominated by point guards and the West have the best in the league in Chris Paul. Paul might not take a single shot tonight but he will be as good as anyone at getting players open shots for highlights and three-pointers.

Durant is the favorite to take home the MVP tonight because he is just so unstoppable in an All-Star Game atmosphere. With the defense lightening up as much as it will, Durant can’t help but take advantage and torch it. He became the first player ever to score 30 points or more in consecutive All-Star Games and don’t be surprised if he does so again tonight.

The West has an advantage with their bench players. The East had more make it because of great defense while the West has more scoring off their pine.

James Harden in particular will look to have a huge game. He is playing in what is now his home city of Houston and will be very aggressive trying to score a lot without a doubt.

The All-Star Game is often a time for the game’s best player to prove that he is just that on the biggest stage. That guy is LeBron right now and it is just about guaranteed that he will have a monster night.

The Western Conference is just so much deeper though and they have Durant and better point guards. LeBron won’t be able to overcome them on his own so expect the West to come away with the victory in this one.

Feb 16, 2013; Houston, TX, USA; Western Conference forward Kevin Durant (35) of the Oklahoma City Thunder reacts during practice for the 2013 NBA All-Star game at the George R. Brown Convention Center. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports

The 62nd NBA All-Star Game will take place tonight at 8 p.m. EST in Houston, Texas.

The Western Conference won the game last year 152-149 and Oklahoma City Thunder forward Kevin Durant was named the MVP with 36 points.

Durant will come into this year’s game as the favorite to win the MVP award again. LeBron James is a close second but when it comes to winning MVPs in All-Star Games, Durant is the best.

Durant has the all-time highest scoring average in All-Star Game history at 28.3 points per game. He also became the first player to score 30 or more points in consecutive All-Star Games last year.

Durant even has the all-time scoring record in the Rookie-Sophomore Game with 46 points back in 2009.

Durant, who has led the league in scoring three straight seasons and doing it again this year, will likely light it up again tonight. Durant only knows one speed when he is on a basketball court. While most players tone it down a little in games like this, Durant’s version of that is still one that fills it up in a heartbeat.

The only way you are winning the All-Star Game MVP is if your team wins the game. The one man that may stand in the way of Durant winning this is his teammate: Los Angeles Lakers center Dwight Howard.

Howard is the complete opposite of Durant in these games. He doesn’t take them seriously at all and will be more interested in shooting threes and handling the ball on the perimeter than winning. There’s nothing wrong with having fun during this game but when doing so keeps you from competing and giving the fans a good product on the floor, it’s a huge problem.

A big reason why the West got out to a big lead on the East last year was Howard. Howard had nine points in the game and went 0-for-4 from three-point range.

The West will have to try and overcome a silly Howard to come out on top tonight and give Durant a chance to win the MVP again.

There’s a good chance the MVP and the outcome of the game will come down to a showdown between Durant and LeBron. They will be guarding each other from the start in this one and should be down the stretch as well if the game is close.

LeBron also scored 36 points last year in a loss and is the second all-time points per game leader in All-Star history at 25.9. He’s been on another level this season and especially lately when it comes to shooting. If he can carry that momentum into tonight where there is less defense than ever then he could really challenge Durant for the MVP.

We could also see a more passive Durant in this game. He’s been more of a passer this season trying to emulate LeBron to a degree. If he lets up even a little and plays that role tonight, it could cost him the MVP.

Coverage of the game will begin at 7 p.m. EST on TNT. The game will tip-off shortly after 8 p.m. EST.

Feb 16, 2013; Houston, TX, USA; From left, New Orleans Hornets forward Anthony Davis, and Western Conference guard Russell Westbrook of the Oklahoma City Thunder, and Western Conference forward Kevin Durant of the Oklahoma City Thunder, and Western Conference guard James Harden of the Houston Rockets watch the 2013 NBA All-Star three-point contest at the Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports

One of the coolest things about this year’s NBA All-Star Game is that it will be the first time that Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook and James Harden play together on the same team since the trade that sent Harden packing at the start of the season.

For Oklahoma City Thunder fans, this will be something to reminisce on.

Durant, Westbrook and Harden made up one of the best trios in the NBA last season. They weren’t only great playing together on the court but off it they were best friends.

The trio still refers to themselves as brothers and they could be seen sitting together enjoying the All-Star Saturday Night festivities last night.

It’s kind of hard to watch and it will be a little weird tonight too. Western Conference head coach Gregg Popovich will undoubtedly find minutes for the three to play together tonight. If they strike up the same chemistry together they had back in OKC, it will be a little tough for Thunder fans to watch.

It was easy to get over the trade relatively quickly this season as the Thunder had so much success and Harden the same in Houston. It felt like the Thunder may have really made the right move and Kevin Martin was doing an admirable job replacing Harden’s production.

But when the Thunder lost to the Miami Heat again last Thursday night, regretting the Harden trade and wondering about what it would have been like if they would have kept him were thoughts in every Thunder fan’s mind.

This year the Miami Heat will have three players starting in the All-Star Game. The Thunder could have been the next team to be able to do that had they kept Harden.

Kobe Bryant is saying he will probably only play a few more seasons and Harden is next in line behind him to start in these games. Chris Paul is starting to drop off a little bit too which would open the window for Westbrook to become a starter.

It wasn’t easy for anyone in the Thunder organization to make this trade. Harden’s potential was through the roof and it’s already looking like he plans on reaching that potential.

Instead of finding out what this trio of All-Stars could have accomplished, we will now only be reminded of it once every year when they play side by side again in All-Star Games.

Feb 16, 2013; Houston, TX, USA; Toronto Raptors guard Terrence Ross dunks after leaping over a youngster during the 2013 NBA all star slam dunk contest at the Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports

Toronto Raptors guard Terrence Ross won the 2013 NBA Slam Dunk Contest beating out the defending champion Jeremy Evans of the Utah Jazz in the final round.

Ross got a fortunate first dunk score of 50 after needing five attempts to finish his slam. After that first dunk he was solid the rest of the way capping off the competition with a between-the-legs dunk over a small boy.

Evans relied on props as expected and was impressive to a degree but not enough to overcome Ross, who took home 58 percent of the fans’ votes.

The favorites, James White and Gerald Green, dimmed in the bright lights of All-Star Weekend. They both struggled to eve finish dunks while not even seeming to attempt the most difficult.

White first took off from the free throw line with two hands and received only a score of 45. His second dunk was planned to be one from the right wing where he switched hands with the ball but he was unable to complete it.

Green, who won the competition in 2007, tried dunking a ball twice in one leap after cutting off the net but could not do so after many tries.

This contest clearly need the game’s best players to compete. Whether it be LeBron James who could easily win it or even someone like Kevin Durant who could at least draw more attention to the event.

White and Green had a chance to put this event back on the map but they failed to do so. Ross was solid but that’s about it.

Feb 16, 2013; Houston, TX, USA; Western Conference center Dwight Howard (12) of the Los Angeles Lakers talks with guard Russell Westbrook (0) of the Oklahoma City Thunder and forward Blake Griffin (32) of the Los Angeles Clippers talk during practice for the 2013 NBA all star game at the George R. Brown Convention Center. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports

Team Westbrook looked like they were going to win the 2013 Sears Shooting Stars Challenge at NBA All-Star Weekend Saturday night.

They had the best overall time in the first round then only had to beat a time of 1:29 to win the whole thing in the final round. They would miss over 10 shots from half court as Russell Westbrook, Maya Moore and Robert Horry were unable to come up clutch in Clutch City.

Team Bosh ended up victorious despite a performance that left a lot to be desired.

NBA legend Dominique Wilkins had an awful hard time hitting a straight-away jumper from the top of the key but he would come up big making both half court shots for his team in the competition.

The two best times in the first round came from the Western Conference. Team Harden posted a very formidable time but it was not enough to beat Team Westbrook.

This was the first event of NBA All-Star Saturday in Houston, Texas. There is a new format this year pitting the Eastern Conference vs. the Western Conference for the night. The conference that wins the most of the competitions will win the most money for charity.

The next competition coming up is the Taco Bell Skills Challenge. Tony Parker, Damian Lillard and Jeremy Lin will represent the West. Jrue Holiday, Brandon Knight and Jeff Teague will play for the East.

Feb 5, 2013; Houston, TX, USA; Golden State Warriors point guard Stephen Curry (30) brings the ball up the court during the first quarter against the Houston Rockets at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports

NBA All-Star Saturday Night is here and soon we will be crowning this year’s slam dunk and three-point contest winners.

The festivities will begin to get covered at 8 p.m. EST on TNT. It will feature the Shooting Stars Challenge, Skills Challenge, 3-Point Contest and then finally the Slam Dunk Contest.

Expect the Dunk Contest to start around 9:30-10:00 p.m. EST.

Who is going to take home the hardware tonight? Will the Slam Dunk Contest finally return to its glory?

There is a new format this year where in both contests three players from each conference will face off. The highest scores from the East and West will then meet in the final round to determine a winner.

3-Point Contest

Let’s start with the 3-Point Contest. For the West we will have Stephen Curry, Matt Bonner and Ryan Anderson. The East is represented by Steve Novak, Kyrie Irving and Paul George.

In terms of getting shots up in a lifetime, no one can match Curry. His dad, Del, was one of the best shooters ever in the NBA and he taught his son well. It’s hard to pick against Steph who has the perfect form, a quick release and the ability to get hot more than anyone in this conference.

His stiffest competition might come from the same conference in the form of the Red Rocket, Matt Bonner. Bonner is as machine-like as any shooter in this competition. Hard work is the only reason he has made it in this league and that starts with his robot-like, three-point making ability.

Novak has to be the favorite coming from the East. There is no other player in the NBA that is more of a specialist than Novak is. Irving may be able to make some noise too but his prowess usually comes in game.

Slam Dunk Contest

The Dunk Contest contestants will be James White, Gerald Green and Terrence Ross from the East and Jeremy Evans, Eric Bledsoe and Kenneth Faried from the West.

White and Green will meet in what has to be the most anticipated Dunk Contest in a long time. They are two of the great dunkers of all-time, especially in contests and were made to do just one thing: be creative in the air and finish dunks.

They are the two overwhelming favorites despite the defending champ, Evans, competing for the West. Evans’ win last year was not thought of very highly by most so expect Bledsoe or Faried to have a good chance of coming out of the West.

The real shame here is that White and Green won’t be able to end up in a dunking showdown in the final round. We might have to settle for fireworks early in this competition.

Final Predictions

3-Point Contest: Stephen Curry

Slam Dunk Contest: James White

November 20, 2012; New Orleans, LA, USA; New York Knicks shooting guard James White (4) dunks against the New Orleans Hornets during the fourth quarter of a game at the New Orleans Arena. The Knicks defeated the Hornets 102-80. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports

It’s NBA All-Star Weekend and the 2013 Slam Dunk Contest will be held tonight. The Saturday night festivities will begin at 8:30 p.m. EST. The dunk contest will be the final event and likely to start between 9:30-10:00 p.m. EST.

There won’t be any superstars participating in this year’s contest but there is more hope than usual that the contest will return to glory this year.

There is a new format this year where the six contestants will be divided into their respective conferences. There are two rounds where the best scores from each conference will then meet in a final round.

Here’s a look at each contestant and their dunking highlights:

Eastern Conference

James White, New York Knicks
Stats: 6.7 MPG, 1.8 PPG, 0.8 RPG

White is 30 years old and only in his third season in the NBA. He was drafted by the Portland Trail Blazers back in 2006 and has never really found a home in the league playing in just 44 career games so far. White’s claim to fame has always been his dunking. He finished second in the McDonald’s All-American Slam Dunk Contest and has become a YouTube sensation with some of his dunks in dunk contests around the world. This is the first time White has been on an NBA team at the time of All-Star Weekend so it is fitting that he will be competing in the contest as one of the favorites to win it. White loves getting running starts for his dunks and jumping off one foot. He will use his great speed to his advantage with at least a few attempts from the free throw line tonight.

Gerald Green, Indiana Pacers
Stats: 19.8 MPG, 6.6 PPG, 2.5 RPG

Green has a history with the NBA Slam Dunk Contest already having won it back in 2007. Like White, Green was also out of the league for a little while but has come back strong the past few seasons with the Brooklyn Nets and now Indiana Pacers. Green and White have met before in a dunk contest in Russia a few years back which is known as one of the best ever. Green is a two-footed dunker and gets up extremely high with his face nearly level with the rim often times.

Terrence Ross, Toronto Raptors
Stats: 16.9 MPG, 6.4 PPG, 2.1 RPG

Ross was drafted 8th overall by the Toronto Raptors in this past NBA Draft. He came in as a solid outside shooter and great athlete which he has lived up to with his invite to this contest. Ross will join a long list of participants from Toronto in the history of the dunk contest which includes Vince Carter and Tracy McGrady. Ross has been especially good with windmill dunks this season.

Kyrie Irving and Team Shaq lost Friday night but the former No. 1 overall pick still managed to steal the show.

Irving found Brandon Knights trying to check him late in the second half and he went all Uncle Drew on him not once, but three times.

Irving’s handles are really in a class by themselves. He’s so smooth and makes it look so easy. Not even Knight who is a great defender in his own right can keep up with Irving.

Irving’s display was not enough to get past Team Chuck who won the game 163-135 thanks to a 90-point first half.

Kenneth Faried was the MVP scoring 40 points and he got the most help from Ricky Rubio who had 10 dimes in 15 minutes.

Rubio is perfect for this game as alley-oops and sick passes often dominate the game. Faried and his motor only know one speed so going for 40 against the smaller Team Shaq was made easy for him.

There is no better warm-up for the dunk contest than playing in a game like this with Rubio. Faried will compete in the dunk contest representing the Western Conference Saturday night.

This was the second year that the Rising Stars Challenge teams were drafted by Shaquille O’Neal and Charles Barkley. Barkley is 2-0 in the series.

Oct 16, 2012; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Indiana Pacers forward Gerald Green (25) lines up along the foul line during a game against the Atlanta Hawks at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports

The NBA Slam Dunk Contest has lost its luster in recent years. The big named stars no longer participate in it and it’s reliant on props and gimmicks more than anything. It’s become more of a joke and blemish on All-Star Weekend than anything.

This year that could all change thanks to one of the most highly anticipated fields in a long time.

Defending champion Jeremy Evans of the Utah Jazz will be back in it. He will be joined by Eric Bledsoe from the Los Angeles Clippers and Kenneth Faried of the Denver Nuggets representing the Western Conference.

The Eastern Conference will be made up of Terrence Ross of the Toronto Raptors and the two guys with the chance to save this contest: Gerald Green of the Indiana Pacers and James White of the New York Knicks.

Green already has experience in this contest and won it back in 2007. White has never been in the league long enough to be able to compete in it but now at age 30, he finally made it.

The best part is that Green and White have a history not only in dunk contests, but competing against each other in a dunk contest in Russia back in 2010. As you can see in the video above, it is one of the best dunk contests you’ll ever witness.

It’s time to revitalize this contest. There are no two better players to do so than Green and White. They aren’t the big time names like a Michael Jordan or Dominique Wilkins but they are truly specialists in this area. Green and White were made to dunk and grew up in an era where they have perfected dunks in dunk contests.

Real basketball junkies know what we are in store for this coming All-Star Weekend with Green and White. The casual fan will be in for a surprise. If there was ever time for the dunk contest to return to its glory, that time is now.

Feb 6, 2013; Cleveland, OH, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers point guard Kyrie Irving (2) attempts a free throw after a technical foul on the Charlotte Bobcats in the third quarter at Quicken Loans Arena. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-USA TODAY Sports

Charles Barkley and Shaquille O’Neal each have drafted their teams for the BBVA Rising Stars Challenge that will be played on Feb. 16 at the NBA All-Star Weekend in Houston, Texas.

There was a pool comprised of 20 rookies and sophomores that Barkley and Shaq got to pick from.

Here’s how the draft ended up going:

Team Shaq

1. Damian Lillard
3. Kyrie Irving
5. Andre Drummond
7. Klay Thompson
9. Harrison Barnes
11. Chandler Parsons
13. Dion Waiters
15. Michael Kidd-Gilchrist
17. Tyler Zeller
19. Kemba Walker

Team Barkley

2. Anthony Davis
4. Kenneth Faried
6. Kawhi Leonard
8. Bradley Beal
10. Ricky Rubio
12. Tristan Thompson
14. Nikola Vucevic
16. Brandon Knight
18. Isaiah Thomas
20. Alexey Shved

The big shocker was Irving not going No. 1 but amazingly Shaq was still able to draft him No. 3 overall. Irving will be playing in the All-Star Game as well and may even be a starter in that game replacing Rajon Rondo.

This is always a game dominated by point guards and who can throw and catch the most alley-oops. Team Barkley is led by Davis and Faried as great dunkers and they will have Rubio throwing them lobs all day.

It’s nearly impossible to predict a winner for this game. Usually someone just gets hot from the field and their team pulls away. That’s what happened last year when Irving took over and earned MVP honors.

Jan 26, 2013; Philadelphia, PA, USA; New York Knicks guard James White (4) shoots as Philadelphia 76ers center Lavoy Allen (50) defends during the fourth quarter at the Wells Fargo Center. The Sixers defeated the Knicks 97-80. Mandatory Credit: Howard Smith-USA TODAY Sports

The participants for the 2013 NBA All-Star Slam Dunk and Three-Point competitions have been revealed.

Slam Dunk Contest: Gerald Green, Indiana Pacers; Terrence Ross, Toronto Raptors; James White, New York Knicks; Eric Bledsoe, Los Angeles Clippers; Jeremy Evans, Utah Jazz; Kenneth Faried, Denver Nuggets

Three-Point Contest: Paul George, Indiana Pacers; Kyrie Irving, Cleveland Cavaliers; Steve Novak, New York Knicks; Ryan Anderson, New Orleans Hornets; Mat Bonner, San Antonio Spurs; Stephen Curry, Golden State Warriors

Saturday night at All-Star Weekend has really lost its luster in recent years. The Slam Dunk Contest has become more dependent on props more than anything since no big-name stars are competing in it anymore.

There may be a resurgence this year with White and Green being in the contest. They are two of the best dunk contest dunkers of all-time and have already squared off in an epic contest before.

Skills Challenge: Jrue Holiday, Philadelphia 76ers; Brandon Knight, Detroit Pistons; Jeff Teague, Atlanta Hawks; Damian Lillard, Portland Trail Blazers; Jeremy Lin, Houston Rockets; Tony Parker, San Antonio Spurs

The Shooting Stars competition is the only one that will feature any Oklahoma City Thunder players. It is devised into four teams each led by NBA players.

Russell Westbrook, James Harden, Brook Lopez and Chris Bosh will each lead teams made up of WNBA stars and NBA legends.

Westbrook will have Robert Horry and Maya Moore on his team. Harden is joined by Sam Cassell and Tina Thompson. Lopez has Muggsy Bogues and Tamika Catchings and Bosh is with Dominique Wilkins and Swin Cash.

Westbrook and Harden will also square off as head coaches of the Celebrity Game.

Jun 11, 2012; Oklahoma City, OK, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Russell Westbrook (0) talks to guard James Harden (13) during practice the day before game one of the 2012 NBA finals against the Miami Heat at Chesapeake Energy Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark D. Smith-USA TODAY Sports

Former Oklahoma City Thunder teammates Russell Westbrook and James Harden will square off against each other on All-Star Weekend as coaches for the 2013 Sprint Celebrity Game.

You don’t really think of Westbrook or Harden as being the coaching type. If you give any edge to one of them it has to be Harden. Westbrook’s not exactly the guy you expect to be drawing up plays.

It should be a fun dynamic seeing the former teammates compete in this way though.

Here is a look at the rosters for the game via NBA.com:

This year’s rosters include celebrities from film, TV, and music. Reigning 2012 Sprit NBA All-Star Celebrity Game MVP Kevin Hart (“Real Husbands of Hollywood”), will look to defend his title alongside stars like Grammy ® Award-winner Ne-Yo (R&B/pop star); Nick Cannon (“Real Husbands of Hollywood”); Josh Hutcherson (The Hunger Games); Trey Songz (R&B Singer/Actor); Usain Bolt (Olympic Gold Medal Sprinter); Arne Duncan (Secretary of Education); Terrence Jenkins (“E! News,” Anchor); Common (Rapper/Actor); John Schriffen (ABC News Correspondent); Ryen Russillo (ESPN Host); NBA Legends Dikembe Mutombo (eight-time NBA All-Star), Clyde Drexler (ten-time NBA All-Star), Sean Elliott (two-time NBA All-Star), and Bruce Bowen (NBA legend); WNBA stars Tamika Catchings ( Indiana Fever) and Maya Moore (Minnesota Lynx). Queen Latifah (Rapper/Singer/Actress) and Samantha Harris (TV Host) will be the assistant coaches.

NBA All-Star Weekend will be Feb. 15-17. The Celebrity Game will be played on Friday, Feb. 15 and the game will be televised on ESPN beginning at 7 p.m. EST that day.

Steve Dykes-USA TODAY Sports

The pool of rookie and sophomores available for the 2013 BBVA Rising Stars Challenge for All-Star Weekend has been announced.

Cleveland Cavaliers All-Star point guard Kyrie Irving will headline the pool of sophomores. Joining him will be Kenneth Faried, Brandon Knight, Kawhi Leonard, Chandler Parsons, Klay Thompson, Trsitan Thompson, Nikola Vucevic and Kemba Walker.

The No. 1 overall pick of the 2012 NBA Draft, Anthony Davis, headlines the pool of rookies. Damian Lillard, Harrison Barnes, Bradley Beal, Andre Drummond, Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, Alexey Shved, Dion Waiters and Tyle Zeller will join him.

The game no longer pits the rookies vs. the sophomores and instead two 9-man rosters will be drafted by Charles Barkley and Shaquille O’Neal.

Irving will likely be the first pick and then rookies Davis or Lillard should expect to be drafted next. Last year, Irving was the MVP of the game scoring 34 points as he led TEAM CHUCK over TEAM SHAQ 146-133.

This game is notorious for its lack of defense and intensity. It often just turns into some sort of dunk contest by the second half while players just stand around watching each other.

Shooters like Klay Thompson and Beal should have big games. Bigs like Drummond and Davis will make good participants by catching a ton of alley-oops.

The game will take place Friday, Feb. 15 and broadcast live on TNT at 9 p.m. EST. The drafting of the rosters will be done live on TNT Thursday, Feb. 7 at 7 p.m. EST.