February 10, 2005
Ridnour
|
NEW YORK - Second-year Seattle SuperSonics guard
Luke Ridnour highlights the field of participants in the PlayStation® Skills Challenge. The event will be held on NBA All-Star Saturday Night presented by America Online, February 19 at Pepsi Center in Denver, CO. TNT's coverage of All-Star Saturday Night begins at 5:30 p.m.
Ridnour, who was already selected for the Sophomore team in the got milk? Rookie Challenge, which will be played on Friday, February 18. He ranks sixth in the league in assist-to-turnover ratio (3.65) and fifth in free-throw percentage (89.9%). Both his ballhandling and shooting will be valuable in the Skills Challenge. Ridnour and San Antonio's Tony Parker (2003) are the only players to participate in the Skills Challenge during their first or second NBA seasons.
The PlayStation Skills Challenge, launched at 2003 NBA All-Star in Atlanta, is a contest highlighting the NBA’s top point guards. It features players competing in a two-round timed “obstacle course” event consisting of dribbling, passing and shooting stations. In addition to Ridnour,
Gilbert Arenas of the Washington Wizards,
Earl Boykins of the host Denver Nuggets and
Steve Nash of the Phoenix Suns will participate.
The contestants in the PlayStation 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 and fourth place will receive $5,000 each.
Nash, a three-time All-Star, leads the league in assists this season averaging 11.3 and has led the Suns to a league-best 39-11 record thus far. Arenas, making his first All-Star appearance, ranks in the top 10 of the NBA in three-point field goals made (fourth), steals per game (seventh), minutes per game (seventh), points per game (eighth) and free throws made (ninth). Boykins, the NBA’s shortest player standing at 5-5, has posted his best season to date this year averaging career-highs in points (11.6), assists (3.7) and minutes (25.5).
The PlayStation Skills Challenge will be televised live nationally as part of the NBA All-Star Saturday Night presented by America Online and will also feature the Foot Locker Three-Point Shootout, Sprite Rising Stars Slam Dunk and RadioShack Shooting Stars. NBA All-Star Saturday Night will be televised live nationally on TNT in the United States and on Rogers Sportsnet in Canada at 6 p.m. MT/ 8 p.m. ET. Live audio broadcasts are available on ESPN Radio and on NBA.com in multiple languages.
About Sony Computer Entertainment America Inc.
Sony Computer Entertainment America Inc. continues to redefine the entertainment lifestyle with its PlayStation and PS one™ game console, and the PlayStation 2 computer entertainment system. The PlayStation 2 computer entertainment system is set to revolutionize the home entertainment market, offering the most compelling interactive content and the capability to be used as a network terminal in the coming broadband era.
Recognized as the undisputed industry leader, Sony Computer Entertainment America Inc. markets the PlayStation family of products and develops, publishes, markets and distributes software for the PS one game console and the PlayStation 2 computer entertainment system for the North American market. Based in Foster City, Calif. Sony Computer Entertainment America Inc. serves as headquarters for all North American operations and is a wholly owned subsidiary of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc.
PLAYSTATION SKILLS CHALLENGE
