 Utah Jazz guard Deron Williams was selected to compete in the 2008 PlayStation® Skills Challenge as part of NBA All-Star Saturday Night, the NBA announced today.
Williams, who has started all 48 games for the Jazz, is averaging 18.8 points, 9.6 assists (4th in NBA) and 3.0 rebounds in 36.7 minutes per game, while shooting .511 from the floor. He is also tied for ninth in the league with 26 double-doubles.
The competition, which takes place on February 16 at New Orleans Arena in New Orleans, will also feature the New Orleans Hornets’ Chris Paul, the New Jersey Nets’ Jason Kidd and two-time defending champion Dwyane Wade of Miami.
The PlayStation® Skills Challenge was introduced at NBA All-Star 2003 in Atlanta and consists of four players competing in a two-round timed “obstacle course” consisting of dribbling, passing and shooting stations. All players must observe basic NBA ball-handling rules while completing the course. The two players with the fastest times from the first round advance to the finals with the order of competition determined by inverse order of the first round times.
As with all of this year's All-Star participants, Williams will join over 2,500 members of the NBA Family for the NBA Cares All-Star Day of Service on Friday, Feb. 15. The volunteers will participate in a variety of service projects at 10 different sites throughout New Orleans.
The PlayStation® Skills Challenge will be televised live nationally as part of the NBA All-Star Saturday Night, which will also feature the Foot Locker Three-Point Shootout, Sprite Slam Dunk and Haier Shooting Stars. TNT and ESPN Radio’s national coverage will begin at 6 p.m. MT from New Orleans Arena.
2008 PLAYSTATION® SKILLS CHALLENGE COMPETITORS |
PLAYER |
TEAM |
POS. |
HT. |
WT. |
|
New Jersey |
G |
6-4 |
210 |
|
New Orleans |
G |
6-0 |
175 |
|
Miami |
G |
6-4 |
216 |
|
Utah |
G |
6-3 |
205 |
PLAYSTATION® SKILLS CHALLENGE YEAR-BY-YEAR WINNERS
2003 – Jason Kidd, New Jersey
2004 – Baron Davis, New Orleans
2005 – Steve Nash, Phoenix
2006 – Dwyane Wade, Miami
2007 – Dwyane Wade, Miami
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