NBA confirms participants for 2019 All-Star events

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The NBA on Tuesday confirmed the participants in All-Star Weekend's three competitions: Skills Challenge, Three-point Contest and Slam Dunk Contest.

2019 NBA All-Star Skills Challenge

Jason Tatum (Top L1), Kyle Kuzma (Top L2), Trae Young (Top R2), De'Aaron Fox (Top R1), Mike Conley (Bottom L1), Luka Doncic (Bottom L2), Nikola Vucevic (Bottom R2) and Nikola Jokic (Bottom R1) will attend the 2019 NBA All-Star Skills Challenge on February 16. /CGTN Photo by Li Jingjie

Eight players – three guards, three forwards and two centers – will attend the Skills Challenge: Mike Conley (guard from the Memphis Grizzlies), De'Aaron Fox (guard from the Sacramento Kings), Trae Young (guard from the Atlanta Hawks), Kyle Kuzma (forward from the Los Angeles Lakers), Luka Doncic (forward from the Dallas Mavericks), Jason Tatum (forward from the Boston Celtics), Nikola Jokic (center from the Denver Nuggets) and Nikola Vucevic (center from the Orlando Magic).

Unlike the previous three events which included big men competing against guards, forwards are included in this year's challenge. The event tests a slew of basic basketball skills including ball-handling, passing and 3-pt shooting. Though guards are favored to win this challenge, history has told a different story with players like Karl-Anthony Towns and Kristaps Porzingis winning the challenge in 2016 and 2017.

2019 NBA All-Star Three-Point Contest

Which of the 10 players above will win the 2019 NBA All-Star Three-Point Contest on February 16? /CGTN Photo by Li Jingjie

Ten players will compete in the Three-Point Contest on February 16: Stephen Curry (Golden State Warriors), Seth Curry (Portland Trail Blazers), Dirk Nowitzki (Mavericks), Damian Lillard (Trail Blazers), Danny Green (Toronto Raptors), Kemba Walker (Charlotte Hornets), Buddy Hield (Kings), Devin Booker (Phoenix Suns), Khris Middleton (Milwaukee Bucks) and Joe Harris (Brooklyn Nets).

Forty-year-old Nowitzki will attend his sixth Three-Point Contest. Back in 2006, he defeated Ray Allen and Jason Terry to win the award and became the tallest (2.13 meters) player to win the contest.

As a prolific three-point shooter, Stephen Curry this time will not compete against Klay Thompson, the other member of the "Splash Brothers" but instead, he has the chance to contend against his blood brother, Seth Curry.

Danny Green, who held a career 3-point rate of 40 percent for three-pointers, and shot better than that in five of 10 seasons will participate in the contest for the first time. He will not be alone because Harris and Hield will also make their All-Star shooting contest debut.

2019 NBA All-Star Slam Dunk Contest

John Collins (L1), Dennis Smith Jr. (L2), Hamidou Diallo (R2) and Miles Bridges (R1) will attend the 2019 NBA All-Star Slam Dunk Contest on February 16. /CGTN Photo by Li Jingjie

Four athletic monsters, Dennis Smith Jr. from the New York Knicks, John Collins from the Hawks, Miles Bridges from the Hornets and Hamidou Diallo from the Oklahoma City Thunder, will compete in the Slam Dunk Contest on February 16.

Smith Jr. is the only one of the four that participated the competition before. Last year, he was expected by many, but his lack of eye-catching creativity, meant Donovan Mitchell came away with the title.

Selected by Atlanta with the 19th pick in the first round of the 2017 NBA Draft, Collins improved his game in his second season by setting new career records in scoring (35 points) and rebounding (14). More importantly, the 21-year-old young man so far has already made 103 dunks.

Second-year player Bridges joined Charlotte as the 12th-overall-pick player of 2018 and was known for his vertical jumping and explosive first step during his time in college. Diallo shouldn't be underestimated either as he posted the second-highest vertical leap of 113 centimeters (44.5 inches) in NBA combine history.