NEW YORK — New York Knicks forward Kevin Knox will replace injured Los Angeles Lakers guard Lonzo Ball on the U.S. Team in the 2019 MTN DEW ICE Rising Stars, which will be played on Friday, Feb. 15 at Spectrum Center in Charlotte, North Carolina.
Knox, the ninth overall pick in NBA Draft 2018 presented by State Farm, ranks seventh among NBA rookies in both scoring (12.5 ppg) and rebounding (4.2 rpg) while appearing in 46 games (28 starts) for New York. The 6-9 forward has made 76 three-pointers, tied for fifth place among first-year NBA players.
In December, Knox averaged 17.1 points and 6.0 rebounds per game to earn the Kia NBA Eastern Conference Rookie of the Month award. For the season, he has scored at least 20 points in eight games, including a career-high 31 points against the Philadelphia 76ers on Jan. 13.
Ball will not play in MTN DEW ICE Rising Stars after sustaining a sprained left ankle in a game against the Houston Rockets on Jan. 19. He is averaging 9.9 points, 5.4 assists and 5.3 rebounds in 47 games in his second NBA season.
MTN DEW ICE Rising Stars is the NBA’s annual showcase of premier young talent at NBA All-Star. For the fifth consecutive year, the game features 10 first- and second-year NBA players from the United States against 10 first- and second-year NBA players from around the world.
TNT and ESPN Radio will air MTN DEW ICE Rising Stars live in the United States on Feb. 15 at 9 p.m. ET. NBA All-Star 2019 will reach fans in more than 200 countries and territories in more than 40 languages on their televisions, computers, mobile phones and tablets.
