CLEVELAND, OH - Cleveland Cavaliers guard Kyrie Irving has been named as a participant in the 2013 Foot Locker Three-Point Contest at All-Star Weekend, it was announced tonight by the NBA.
“I’m really looking forward to competing in the Foot Locker Three-Point Contest,” said Irving. “It’s an honor to be part of the entire All-Star weekend and I’m thankful for the opportunity. I know it’s going to be a very special experience, even more so with my Cavalier teammates there as well.”
In 38 games this season, Irving is averaging a career-high 23.9 points on .474 shooting to go along with 3.6 rebounds, 5.4 assists and 1.7 steals in 35.4 minutes per game. He is shooting .429 from three-point range which ranks 10th in the NBA this season and second among point guards. Since entering the NBA last season, Irving is shooting .414 from beyond the arc, which ranks 7th in the league in that time frame (minimum 150 three-pointers made). He has made five or more threes three times this season, including going 5-5 from behind the line in last night’s 122-95 win over Charlotte at Quicken Loans Arena.
During All-Star Weekend in Houston, TX, Irving will be participating in the Rising Stars Challenge on Friday night (along with Cavs guard Dion Waiters, forward/center Tristan Thompson and forward/center Tyler Zeller) and the All-Star game on Sunday night, along with Saturday night’s Three Point Contest.
The Foot Locker Three-Point Contest will take place during All-Star Saturday night on Feb. 16 in Houston. The other participants are New Orleans’s Ryan Anderson, San Antonio’s Matt Bonner, Golden State’s Stephen Curry, Indiana’s Paul George and New York’s Steve Novak.