January 25, 2017
NEW ORLEANS – New Orleans Pelicans rookie guard Buddy Hield a has been named a member of the World Team for the BBVA Rising Stars Challenge during NBA All-Star Weekend, the league announced today. Hield becomes the third player in franchise history to participate in the Rookie Challenge or Rising Stars Challenge, and the first since Anthony Davis in 2014.
Hield, 6-4, 215, was selected by New Orleans with the sixth overall pick in the 2016 NBA Draft after a four-year career at the University of Oklahoma. In 45 games (25 starts) so far during his rookie campaign, the Freeport, Bahamas native has averaged 8.8 points (ranked fourth among rookies) while shooting .373 from three-point range, 2.9 rebounds and 1.3 assists in 20.1 minutes per game. Hield was named the Western Conference Rookie of the Month for December after leading West rookies in scoring (10.6 ppg) and three-point field goal percentage (.478) and topped all first-year players in three-pointers made (33).
Joining Hield on the World Team is Joel Embiid (Cameroon) of the Philadelphia 76ers, as well as two members of the 2015-16 NBA All-Rookie First Team in Serbian center Nikola Jokic of the Denver Nuggets and Latvian forward Kristaps Porzingis of the New York Knicks, along with Emmanuel Mudiay (Democratic Republic of the Congo) and Jamal Murray (Canada) of the Denver Nuggets, Danté Exum (Australia) and Trey Lyles (Canada) of the Utah Jazz, Domantas Sabonis (Lithuania) of the Oklahoma City Thunder and Dario Saric (Croatia) of the 76ers.
The U.S. Team features Karl-Anthony Towns of the Minnesota Timberwolves, Devin Booker and Marquese Chriss of the Phoenix Suns, Malcolm Brogdon of the Milwaukee Bucks, Brandon Ingram and D’Angelo Russell of the Los Angeles Lakers, Frank Kaminsky of the Charlotte Hornets, Jhalil Okafor of the Philadelphia 76ers, Jonathan Simmons of the San Antonio Spurs and Myles Turner of the Indiana Pacers.
NBA opening night rosters for the 2016-17 season featured a record 113 international players from a record 41 countries and territories. This marked the third consecutive season that opening night rosters included at least 100 international players and that all 30 teams had at least one international player.
The NBA’s assistant coaches chose the rosters for the BBVA Compass Rising Stars Challenge, with each of the league’s 30 teams submitting one ballot per coaching staff. Coaches selected four guards, four frontcourt players and two players at either position group for each team. They also picked a minimum of three first-year players and three second-year players for each team.
The head coaches for the BBVA Compass Rising Stars Challenge will be lead assistant coaches from the 2017 NBA All-Star Game coaching staffs. The East and West coaching staffs are determined by the best record in each conference through games played on Sunday, Feb. 5. Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr and his staff have earned the honor for the West, while the East coaching staff has yet to be determined.
For the third consecutive year, the league’s annual showcase of premier young talent will pit 10 first- and second-year NBA players from the U.S. against 10 first- and second-year NBA players from around the world. The game will be televised live by TNT from the Smoothie King Center at 8 p.m. CT on Friday, February 17, and will also be available on the Watch TNT App and on TNT Overtime. In addition, ESPN Radio will broadcast the event, with audio also available on the ESPN app. BBVA Compass, the Official Bank of the NBA, maintains its role as title partner for the BBVA Compass Rising Stars Challenge.
