2016 NBA All-Star

Nikki Nicholson

SACRAMENTO, CA - Sacramento Kings center DeMarcus Cousins will participate in the 2016 Skills Challenge as part of All-Star Saturday Night on February 13 at the Air Canada Centre in Toronto, Canada, the National Basketball Association announced today. A dual participant after being named a Western Conference All-Star reserve last week, Cousins will join Jordan Clarkson (Los Angeles Lakers), Anthony Davis (New Orleans), Draymond Green (Golden State), CJ McCollum (Portland), Isaiah Thomas (Boston), Karl-Anthony Towns (Minnesota) and defending champion Patrick Beverly (Houston) in the eight-player field.

Among NBA leaders, Cousins ranks fourth in scoring (27.1) and rebounding (11.3).

Cousins is the first Kings player to compete in the Skills Challenge as he joins a rich history of Sacramento-era players participating at All-Star Saturday. Kings legend and current Director of Player Personnel Peja Stojakovic netted two wins (2002 and 2003) and a pair of runner-up finishes (2001 and 2004) in the Three-Point Shootout while high-fliers Kenny Smith (1990), Gerald Wallace (2002) and Ben McLemore (2014) competed in the Slam Dunk contest. Stojakovic also teamed with Sacramento Monarchs star Ruthie Bolton-Holifield to win the 2001 2-Ball championship in Washington, D.C. Additionally, Kings legend Chris Webber joined Tyreke Evans and former Monarchs forward Nicole Powell to compete in the 2010 Shooting Stars competition and Omri Casspi took part in the 2010 All-Star H.O.R.S.E competition.

The 2016 Skills Challenge, exclusively televised by TNT in the U.S. at 7:30 p.m. ET, is a three-round, obstacle-course competition that tests dribbling, passing, agility and three-point-shooting skills. A head-to-head, bracket-style tournament format will be used for the second year in a row. The tournament matchups will be determined at a later date.

Cousins is currently averaging a team-leading and career-best 27.1 points, a team-high 11.3 rebounds, 2.9 assists, a team-high 1.40 blocks and 1.38 steals per game in starting all 40 games in which he played in. He has made 45 of his 136 three-point attempts this season for a 33.1 percentage, all career highs. Among NBA leaders, Cousins ranks fourth in scoring and rebounding. He has scored in double figures in 39 games, including a team-leading 31 20-point outings, including 17 30-point outings and an NBA season-high and career-high 56 points versus Charlotte on January 25.

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DeMarcus Cousins to Compete in 2016 Skills Challenge at NBA All-Star Weekend

SACRAMENTO, Calif. - Today, the NBA named Sacramento Kings center DeMarcus Cousins as a reserve to the 2016 Western Conference All-Star Team. The honor marks Cousins’ second straight All-Star selection and the first time a Kings player will participate in back-to-back All-Star games since Peja Stojakovic made three straight appearances (2002-04). Cousins is the sixth player during the Sacramento era and 23rd in franchise history to represent the Kings in the All-Star Game. He joins Mitch Richmond (six), Chris Webber (four) and Stojakovic (three) as the only Kings to make multiple All-Star appearances in the Sacramento era.

In January, Cousins has led the Kings to an 8-5 record while averaging 33.1 points, 12.9 rebounds, 3.1 assists, 1.5 steals...

Currently playing in his sixth NBA season, Cousins is averaging a career-high 27.3 points (.450 FG%, .341 3pt%, .734 FT%), 11.2 rebounds, 2.8 assists, 1.30 steals, 1.27 blocks and 34.0 minutes per game in 37 contests, leading the Kings in scoring, rebounding and blocks. He has been named the Western Conference Player of the Week twice this season, most recently for games played January 18-24. Cousins became only the fourth player to record at least 100 points and 25 rebounds in consecutive games over the last 40 years, joining Michael Jordan, David Robinson and Antawn Jamison by registering 48 points and 13 rebounds on January 23 against Atlanta and following that effort with a career-high 56 points to accompany 12 rebounds versus Charlotte two nights later. The 56 points set new single-game Sleep Train Arena and Sacramento era records and stands as the most points scored by a Kings player since Oscar Robertson set the standard with the Cincinnati Royals on December 18, 1964 against the Lakers. The Kings all-time leader in rebounds in the Sacramento era, Cousins appears among NBA leaders in several categories this season, ranking third in scoring, fourth in rebounding and fourth in double-doubles (26).

In the month of January, Cousins has led the Kings to an 8-5 record while averaging 33.1 points (.498 FG%, .439 3pt%, .733 FT%), 12.9 rebounds, 3.1 assists, 1.5 steals, 0.9 blocks and 36.6 minutes per game in 13 contests. He also leads the NBA this season with the most 30-point, 10-rebound double-doubles (12).

Sacramento Kings All-Star Game Participants

1993 – Mitch Richmond
1994 – Mitch Richmond*
1995 – Mitch Richmond (MVP)
1996 – Mitch Richmond
1997 – Mitch Richmond
1998 – Mitch Richmond
2000 – Chris Webber
2001 – Vlade Divac, Chris Webber
2002 – Peja Stojakovic, Chris Webber
2003 – Peja Stojakovic, Chris Webber+
2004 – Brad Miller, Peja Stojakovic
2015 – DeMarcus Cousins
2016 – DeMarcus Cousins

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DeMarcus Cousins Named to 2016 NBA Western Conference All-Star Team

Sacramento, Calif. – Today, the Sacramento Kings launched its 2015 NBA All-Star campaign – #VoteProud – which leverages grassroots support and technology to send Kings players to the All-Star game. Engagement includes in-game programming, social media content, home game giveaways for voting and fan ambassadors to assist with online voting during home games.

Voting runs December 10, 2015 through January 18, 2015. The All-Star Game is scheduled for February 14, 2016 at Air Canada Centre in Toronto.

"Sacramento Kings fans remain one of the most passionate, loyal fanbases in all of sports and we're proud to showcase a roster with players worthy of their All-Star vote," said Vice President of Basketball Operations and General Manager Vlade Divac. "This year's game in Canada also meshes with our desire to help continue growing the game globally and doing so with technology at the forefront, as the NBA’s All-Star voting process represents."

Kings fans around the world can vote for their favorite players daily at www.NBA.com/vote, through SMS text, the NBA App (available on Android and iOS) and social media networks including Twitter, Facebook and Instagram, as well as via Sina Weibo and Tencent Microblogs in China. New to the voting program this year, fans are now able to cast their daily votes directly through Google Search on their desktop, tablet and mobile devices.

Starters will be announced live on TNT on Thursday, January 21, during a special one-hour edition of TNT NBA Tip-Off at 7 p.m. ET.

For more information, visit http://www.Kings.com/Vote.

For #VoteProud graphics and previews of fan giveaways, visit http://bit.ly/VoteProud.

About NBA All-Star 2016NBA All-Star 2016 in Toronto will bring together some of the most talented and passionate players in the league’s history for a global celebration of the game. The 65th NBA All-Star Game, which will take place Sunday, Feb. 14 at Air Canada Centre, will reach fans in more than 200 countries and territories in more than 40 languages. TNT will televise the All-Star Game in the U.S. for the 14th consecutive year, marking Turner Sports’ 31st year of All-Star coverage. The Air Canada Centre will also host the BBVA Compass Rising Stars Challenge on Friday, Feb. 12 and State Farm All-Star Saturday Night on Saturday, Feb. 13. Other events at NBA All-Star 2016 include the NBA All-Star.

2016 NBA All‑Star

DeMarcus Cousins to Compete in 2016 Skills Challenge at NBA All-Star Weekend

DeMarcus Cousins Named to 2016 NBA Western Conference All-Star Team

#VoteProud to Send Sacramento Kings Players to NBA All-Star Game