Hoyas

All-Star Saturday at the Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California delivered a packed slate of fan-favorite events Friday night before Sunday&rsquo;s All-Star Game, blending sharpshooting, team precision and high-flying athleticism in front of a roaring crowd &ndash; and setting the tone for an electric All-Star Weekend.
<h3>Damian Lillard shines in 3-Point Contest</h3>
The night kicked off with arguably the most anticipated event &ndash; the 3-Point Contest &ndash; as Damian Lillard captured his third career All-Star 3-Point crown. Despite being sidelined all season rehabbing a torn Achilles, Lillard poured in the deep balls, edging out Phoenix Suns&rsquo; Devin Booker in the final round to tie NBA legends Larry Bird and Craig Hodges with three titles in the event&rsquo;s history. His performance provided one of the biggest feel-good moments of the weekend so far.
<h3>Team Knicks dominates Shooting Stars Challenge</h3>
Next up was the revived Shooting Stars Challenge &ndash; a timed team shooting event that returned to Saturday night for the first time in years. The trio of Jalen Brunson, Karl-Anthony Towns and Knicks legend Allan Houston represented Team Knicks and delivered a composed, clutch performance, finishing with 47 points to defeat Team Cameron in the final round and capture the title.
<h3>Keshad Johnson claims first Slam Dunk Contest title</h3>
The night closed with the AT&amp;T Slam Dunk Contest, featuring four high-flyers battling for creative supremacy. Miami Heat forward Keshad Johnson electrified the crowd with a series of inventive slams &ndash; including a windmill and between-the-legs finishes &ndash; ultimately outdueling Spurs rookie Carter Bryant in the finals to take home the trophy. Bryant, who had earlier posted a perfect score in the final, came up just short after Johnson&rsquo;s final round showing.
While some people voiced criticism online about the overall dunk lineup and absence of perennial favorites &ndash; notably three-time dunk champ Mac McClung &ndash; Johnson&rsquo;s performance still brought excitement late into the evening and gave the contest a memorable finish.
<h3>Celebrity Game continues to entertain</h3>
Earlier in the weekend on Friday, the NBA All-Star Celebrity Game drew stars from music, film and sports, with Rome Flynn repeating as MVP and Team Giannis topping Team Anthony 65-58 in a lively celebrity showcase. The event featured performances from names from different celebrities, underscoring the community and entertainment blend that All-Star Weekend champions.
<h3>Saturday sets stage for All-Star Game</h3>
Between Lillard&rsquo;s sharpshooting legacy moment, Team Knicks&rsquo; precision in Shooting Stars and Johnson&rsquo;s dunk coronation, All-Star Saturday offered something for every type of fan &ndash; from competitive spirit to pure showmanship. With momentum building, attention now shifts to Sunday&rsquo;s All-Star Game, where superstar rosters assembled earlier in the week will take the court in a unique USA vs. World format designed to crown the weekend&rsquo;s culminating highlight.

Damian Lillard wins the 3-Point Contest, Team Knicks triumphs in Shooting Stars, and Keshad Johnson claims the Slam Dunk Contest.

2026 All-Star Saturday night: Dame wins 3rd 3pt crown; Knicks top shooting stars; Johnson claim dunk contest

Mac McClung has won three consecutive dunk contest titles after ruling the 2025 NBA Slam Dunk Contest Saturday night at the Chase Center in San Francisco for the 2025 NBA All-Star Weekend.
The 6-foot-2 Orlando/Osceola Magic guard scored 50 on all of his 4 dunks in the contest, dominating the competition that included San Antonio Spurs guard Stephon Castle, Milwaukee Bucks forward Andre Jackson Jr., and Chicago Bulls forward Matas Buzelis.
This is McClung&rsquo;s third straight win in the annual event, previously winning the event in 2023 while still with the Philadelphia 76ers and last year in 2024 was his first with the Orlando/Osceola Magic franchise.
&ldquo;I&rsquo;m just really grateful right now,&rdquo; McClung shared in the post-event interview with TNT&rsquo;s Allie LaForce.
&ndash; &ndash; &ndash;
FULL RECAP OF THE 2025 NBA SLAM DUNK CONTEST
The full scores for the first round were as follows (in order of the dunks taken):
Stephon Castle, San Antonio Spurs 1st dunk (360 windmill) - 47.2 points
Matas Buzelis, Chicago Bulls 1st dunk (failed attempt) - 40.0 points
Andre Jackson Jr., Milwaukee Bucks 1st dunk (double clutch in mid air, 3rd attempt) - 43.8 points
Mac McClung, G League Osceola Magic 1st dunk (reverse dunk while jumping over a car with a guy holding up the ball on the car&rsquo;s ceiling roof) - 50 points
Second round
Matas Buzelis, Chicago Bulls 2nd dunk (reverse windmill from the side of the backboard) - 47.4 points
Andre Jackson Jr., Milwaukee Bucks 2nd dunk (one handed windmill, 3rd attempt) - 45 points
Stephon Castle, San Antonio Spurs 2nd dunk (off the backboard pass, reverse windmill) - 47.4 points
Mac McClung, G League Osceola Magic 2nd dunk (reverse 360 windmill jumping over a guy) - 50 points
Final round
Stephon Castle, San Antonio Spurs 1st dunk (under the rim, catching the ball from a made basket to a between the legs reverse) - 49.6 points
Mac McClung, G League Osceola Magic 1st dunk (windmill while jumping over a guy to catching another ball to dunk for a double dunk) - 50 points
Stephon Castle, San Antonio Spurs 2nd dunk (360, behind the back using his off hand) - 50 points
Mac McClung, G League Osceola Magic 2nd dunk (jumping over 7-foot Evan Mobley + 2-3 inches of padding for a double pump dunk; second pump touched the rim first before dunking it) - 50 points

Mac McClung has won three consecutive dunk contest titles after ruling the 2025 NBA Slam Dunk Contest.

Mac McClung rules 2025 NBA Slam Dunk Contest, win first-ever three-peat

The 2024 NBA All-Star Saturday Night was the most-watched version of the event in four years.
Ten million unique viewers in the United States tuned in to watch across TNT, truTV and B/R Sports on Max. This marked a 54% increase over last year's NBA All-Star Saturday Night.
NBA All-Star Saturday Night averaged 4.6 million viewers, which is up 31% compared to 2023.
The event peaked with 5.4 million viewers from 10 p.m. ET to 10:15 p.m. ET, when Stephen Curry and Sabrina Ionescu faced off in the Steph vs. Sabrina Shootout.
Check out <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nba-allstar-saturday-night-recap-lillard-curry-mcclung-shine" target="_blank" rel="noopener">our complete recap of NBA All-Star Saturday Night here</a>.&nbsp;

The 2024 NBA All-Star Saturday Night was the most-watched version of the event in four years.

2024 NBA All-Star Saturday Night delivers most viewers in 4 years

The 2024 NBA All-Star Saturday Night at the Lucas Oil Stadium in downtown Indianapolis saw some electrifying highlights across all four events, including a spectacular shooting display and jaw-dropping dunks. Here&rsquo;s a quick recap of everything that went down.
Team Pacers rule 2024 Kia Skills Challenge
After a tight contest, Tyrese Haliburton, Bennedict Mathurin and Myles Turner of Team Pacers take the crown of the NBA&rsquo;s Skills Challenge. The hometown team bested other competitors in the field including Team Top Picks (Victor Wembanyama, Paolo Banchero and Anthony Edwards) and Team All-Stars (Trae Young, Tyrese Maxey and Scottie Barnes).
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">
"INDYYYY" Team Pacers lifts the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/KiaSkills?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#KiaSkills</a> trophy infront of the home crowd 🙌<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/StateFarmSaturday?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#StateFarmSaturday</a> on TNT <a href="https://t.co/E7AnW3heYQ">pic.twitter.com/E7AnW3heYQ</a>
&mdash; NBA (@NBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBA/status/1759037129806475764?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 18, 2024</a></blockquote>

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Team Pacers got off to a hot start, winning the first two events in the Three-man Relay and Passing Round with a total time of 1:07 (relay) and 92 points (passing round), with each amounting to 100 challenge points. Team All-Stars then got hot in the shooting round to claim the event, which was worth 200 challenge points.
With the score tied at 200 challenge points each, the two teams had a tie-breaker round, which was a half-court shot. Team All-Stars went first and nailed the shot with a total time of 58.8 seconds, but Haliburton and Team Pacers responded to hit their's more than 20 seconds quicker to win the challenge.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">
HOME TOWN CHAMPS 🏆 Tyrese Haliburton hits the game-winning half-court dagger as the Team Pacers WIN the 2024 NBA Skills Challenge 🙌🏾<a href="https://t.co/jpP6fhvswH">pic.twitter.com/jpP6fhvswH</a>
&mdash; BasketballNews.com (@basketbllnews) <a href="https://twitter.com/basketbllnews/status/1759036015224770883?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 18, 2024</a></blockquote>

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This was the second win of All-Star Weekend for the home team, after Mathurin also won the MVP award of the Rising Stars Challenge on Friday night.
Damian Lillard wins back-to-back Three-Point Shootout titles
The Milwaukee Bucks' Damian Lillard earned his second-straight Starry Three-Point Contest title in a thriller on Saturday night.
At the final rack and needing just one shot to seal the title, Lillard missed out on his first four attempts before sinking the last shot to defend his crown in style.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">
DAME TIME ⌚️ Damian Lillard hits 26 treys to take home the 2024 NBA 3-Point Contest🎯 BACK-TO-BACK 🏆<a href="https://t.co/0fqcoAPzRI">pic.twitter.com/0fqcoAPzRI</a>
&mdash; BasketballNews.com (@basketbllnews) <a href="https://twitter.com/basketbllnews/status/1759049093404303702?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 18, 2024</a></blockquote>
He became the first back-to-back winner of the event since Jason Kapono, who won in 2007 and 2008.
Lillard was joined by the Atlanta Hawks&rsquo; Trae Young and the Minnesota Timberwolves&rsquo; Karl-Anthony Towns in the final round and both scored 24 points apiece, which set the stage for "Dame Time."
Steph Curry beats Sabrina Ionescu in "Steph vs. Sabrina" Shootout
Golden State Warriors superstar Stephen Curry needed every point he could muster to fend off Sabrina Ionescu of the WNBA&rsquo;s New York Liberty to win the first-ever NBA vs WNBA 3-Point Challenge.
Ionescu, who set the record for points scored in a Three-Point Shootout with 37, put immense pressure on Curry by tallying 26 points to start the face-off.&nbsp;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">
SABRINA IONESCU. 26 POINTS. COOKING. Stephen Curry is up next on TNT! <a href="https://t.co/fvM9iOA0ZD">https://t.co/fvM9iOA0ZD</a> <a href="https://t.co/nlDCX25eIx">pic.twitter.com/nlDCX25eIx</a>
&mdash; NBA (@NBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBA/status/1759051195702706262?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 18, 2024</a></blockquote>

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However, the greatest shooter of all-time was not to be deterred as he displayed cold-blooded shooting and ended up with 29 points to win the event.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">
NIGHT NIGHT 🌙 Stephen Curry WENT OFF with 29 threes to win the inaugural NBA vs. WNBA 3-POINT CHALLENGE 🏆<a href="https://t.co/kkOp7bGfHK">pic.twitter.com/kkOp7bGfHK</a>
&mdash; BasketballNews.com (@basketbllnews) <a href="https://twitter.com/basketbllnews/status/1759053236214866271?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 18, 2024</a></blockquote>

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The historic first-of-its-kind event was a success, with each made shot triggering a donation from State Farm to the NBA Foundation to support economic empowerment in the Black community.
Mac McClung defends 2024 AT&amp;T Slam Dunk Contest title
Mac McClung saved his best for last as he became the first player since Zach LaVine to win the AT&amp;T Slam Dunk Contest in back-to-back years.
The Osceola Magic guard pulled off a reverse windmill dunk while jumping over NBA legend Shaquille O&rsquo;Neal to garner the only perfect score of the evening.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">
HE'S DONE IT AGAIN 🤯 Mac McClung is the back-to-back <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ATTSlamDunk?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ATTSlamDunk</a> champion ‼️ Straight 5⃣0⃣'s<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/StateFarmSaturday?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#StateFarmSaturday</a> on TNT <a href="https://t.co/p2sBx7h2IM">pic.twitter.com/p2sBx7h2IM</a>
&mdash; NBA (@NBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBA/status/1759064682789269518?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 18, 2024</a></blockquote>

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McClung defeated the field of competitors that included the Boston Celtics&rsquo; and NBA All-Star Jaylen Brown, Miami Heat&rsquo;s Jaime Jaquez Jr. and New York Knicks&rsquo; Jacob Toppin to defend his title.

Here’s a quick recap of everything that went down during the 2024 NBA All-Star Saturday Night.

2024 NBA All-Star Saturday Night recap: Lillard, Curry, McClung shine

For the second year in a row, Mac McClung won the NBA Slam Dunk Contest.
McClung defeated Boston Celtics forward Jaylen Brown in the championship round, dunking over Shaquille O'Neal and earning 50s across the board in his final dunk. This was the only perfect score of the evening.
McClung became the fifth back-to-back dunk contest champion in NBA history, joining Zach LaVine, Michael Jordan, Nate Robinson and Jason Richardson. 
You can watch all of McClung's dunks from the past two NBA Slam Dunk Contests below:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
BACK-TO-BACK CHAMP. Watch all 8 of Mac McClung's dunks from the 2023 and 2024 <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ATTSlamDunk?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ATTSlamDunk</a> 🏆🏆 <a href="https://t.co/OfkAsUeCzR">pic.twitter.com/OfkAsUeCzR</a>
&mdash; NBA (@NBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBA/status/1759072128458997848?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 18, 2024</a></blockquote>

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The dunk contest was underwhelming, with many fans and <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/joel-embiid-clowns-nba-slam-dunk-contest-and-kenny-smith-" target="_blank" rel="noopener">even reigning MVP Joel Embiid sharing their disappointment and jokes online</a>.

For the second year in a row, Mac McClung won the NBA Slam Dunk Contest.

Mac McClung wins 2024 NBA Slam Dunk Contest

The 2024 NBA Slam Dunk Contest left much to be desired, according to fans and even one NBA superstar on social media.
Philadelphia 76ers reigning MVP Joel Embiid is known for cracking jokes on the internet, with Saturday night being no exception. He posted to X on multiple occasions, poking fun at the commentators and dunks from the evening.
&ldquo;Kenny smith been drinking lmao,&rdquo; <a href="https://x.com/JoelEmbiid/status/1759060203926892829?s=20">he tweeted first.</a>
Smith was one of the voices for TNT's broadcast of All-Star Saturday Night alongside Kevin Harlan, Reggie Miller and Allie LaForce. The two-time NBA champion shared a variety of opinions, which Embiid clearly disagreed with.
&ldquo;I&rsquo;m a professional hater but I&rsquo;m not hating when I say I could win the dunk contest with these scores but not sure the knees would allow it," <a href="https://x.com/JoelEmbiid/status/1759061067160842647?s=20">Embiid added in a post that had social media buzzing.</a>
A critique of the judges was not uncommon, as there were various moments that resulted in anger among fans. One instance occurred when G-Leaguer Mac McClung threw the ball to himself while in the air, but received less than a perfect score. Fans were also frustrated when Miami Heat rookie Jaime Jaquez Jr. jumped over NBA legend Shaquille O&rsquo;Neal, but was given a lower score than Boston Celtics star Jaylen Brown&rsquo;s slam over influencer Kai Cenat, who was sitting down.
McClung, the reigning champion, claimed his second consecutive dunk-contest win with scores of 48, 49.4, 48.8 and 50. McClung&rsquo;s final dunk was the lone 50 of the evening. He became the fifth back-to-back winner in NBA history, joining Zach LaVine, Michael Jordan, Nate Robinson and Jason Richardson. The consensus among fans is that the Osceola Magic guard deserved the victory but that this performance was less impressive than last year's showing.
New York Knicks&rsquo; Jacob Toppin and Jaquez were eliminated in the opening round. Brown finished as the runner-up, with boos pouring in from the crowd during his turn due to controversial scoring.&nbsp;
Embiid&rsquo;s mention of his knees not allowing it refers to his unfortunate injury, which happened on Jan. 30 against the Golden State Warriors. He suffered a left meniscus injury, which required surgery. Embiid will be re-evaluated in four weeks.&nbsp;
Prior to the injury, the Sixers big man was projected to win his second MVP award. He is averaging 35.3 points, 11.3 rebounds and 1.8 blocks on 53.3% shooting. With Embiid sidelined, Denver Nuggets&rsquo; Nikola Jokic, Dallas Mavericks&rsquo; Luka Doncic and Oklahoma City Thunder&rsquo;s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander are the top MVP candidates.

The 2024 NBA Slam Dunk Contest left much to be desired, according to fans and even one NBA superstar on social media.

Joel Embiid clowns NBA Slam Dunk Contest and Kenny Smith

Team Jalen Rose made sure there were no upsets this time around as they beat Team Detlef Shrempf, 25-13, to win the NBA Rising Stars Game at All-Star Weekend in Indianapolis.
Team Detlef, composed of players from the NBA G League, scored a huge 41-36 upset win over a star-studded Team Pau Gasol (led by 2023 No. 1 overall pick Victor Wembanyama) earlier to advance to the championship game.&nbsp;
The G League players brought the fight to the lottery picks, with the Osceola Magic&rsquo;s Mac MaClung and Sioux Falls Skyforce&rsquo;s Alondes Williams leading the way with 12 and 11 points, respectively. G League Ignite and 2024 NBA Draft prospect Matas Buzelis finished the game with a turnaround jumper from the right wing to complete the upset and kick the overwhelming favorites out of the competition.
However, Team Detlef fell short in the end against a locked-in Team Jalen. Led by Bennedict Mathurin of the hometown Indiana Pacers, Team Jalen got off to a strong start and never looked back.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">
INDY'S OWN 💙💛 Bennedict Mathurin is the 2024 NBA Rising Stars MVP 🏆<a href="https://t.co/P79of0vfTV">pic.twitter.com/P79of0vfTV</a>
&mdash; BasketballNews.com (@basketbllnews) <a href="https://twitter.com/basketbllnews/status/1758706531606880366?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 17, 2024</a></blockquote>

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Mathurin was named the NBA Rising Stars Game MVP for his efforts in the first game, scoring 18 points against Paolo Banchero and Team Tamika Catchings to win the first semifinal game. He then scored 4 points in the title game.

Team Jalen Rose won the NBA Rising Stars Game at All-Star Weekend in Indianapolis.

Bennedict Mathurin, Team Jalen win NBA Rising Stars Game

Today, the NBA announced the 28 players who have earned spots to compete in the 2024 Panini Rising Stars, which will take place on Friday, Feb. 16 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis as part of NBA All-Star 2024. The annual showcase of premier young talent, featuring a mini-tournament with four teams and three games, will air live at 9 p.m. ET on TNT.
The player pool consists of 11 NBA rookies, 10 second-year NBA players and seven NBA G League players. The 21 NBA players, selected by NBA assistant coaches, will be drafted onto three seven-player teams. The seven NBA G League players, selected by the league office, will comprise the fourth team.
Six-time NBA All-Star and Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Famer Pau Gasol will return as one of the four honorary head coaches after leading his team to the Rising Stars championship last year. Joining Gasol as honorary head coaches are Indiana Fever legend and 10-time WNBA All-Star Tamika Catchings and former Indiana Pacers standouts Jalen Rose and Detlef Schrempf.
Catchings, a Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Famer, led the Fever to the 2012 WNBA championship. Rose helped the Pacers reach the 2000 NBA Finals and was the Kia NBA Most Improved Player that season. Schrempf, a three-time NBA All-Star, won back-to-back Kia NBA Sixth Man Awards with the Pacers in the 1990-91 and 1991-92 seasons.&nbsp;&nbsp;
Gasol (Team Pau), Catchings (Team Tamika) and Rose (Team Jalen) will select their teams through the Rising Stars Draft, which will take place on Tuesday, Feb. 6 at 4 p.m. ET and stream live on the NBA App.&nbsp; Schrempf (Team Detlef) will coach the team of NBA G League players.
All three games in Panini Rising Stars will be played to a Final Target Score, meaning each game will end with a made basket or a made free throw instead of with the clock running out. The semifinal games will be played to a Final Target Score of 40. The championship game will be played to a Final Target Score of 25.
Team A will face Team B in the first semifinal (Game 1), and Team C will play Team D in the second semifinal (Game 2). The winner of Game 1 will meet the winner of Game 2 in the championship (Game 3).&nbsp; The semifinal matchups will be announced at a later date.
In selecting the NBA players for Panini Rising Stars, each NBA team submitted one ballot per coaching staff. Each coaching staff selected four frontcourt players, four guards and two additional players at either position, in order of preference, for the rookie ballot and the sophomore ballot. Coaches were not permitted to vote for any player on their team.
The NBA participants for Panini Rising Stars were determined by the total points each player received from the ballots. Points were awarded based on where a player was ranked on each ballot. The player pool includes one more rookie than sophomore based on total points received.
Assistant coaches from the NBA All-Star Game coaching staffs will join the honorary head coaches in coaching the Panini Rising Stars teams. The NBA All-Star Game coaching staffs for both the Eastern Conference and the Western Conference have yet to be determined.&nbsp;
Tickets for Panini Rising Stars are available at NBAEvents.com and through the NBA Events App, which can be downloaded in the&nbsp;<a href="https://apps.apple.com/us/app/nba-events/id1488976283" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://apps.apple.com/us/app/nba-events/id1488976283&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1706738146537000&amp;usg=AOvVaw3KdgVz_lJtn5rLaTz7eq7b">Apple Store</a>&nbsp;or&nbsp;<a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.greencopper.nbaallstar&amp;hl=en_US&amp;gl=US&amp;pli=1" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id%3Dcom.greencopper.nbaallstar%26hl%3Den_US%26gl%3DUS%26pli%3D1&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1706738146537000&amp;usg=AOvVaw0-CV5jwdxEhFcuZ8BRrarV">Google Play Store</a>.
Below is the player pool for the 2024 Panini Rising Stars.
<table style="width: 719px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="607">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td style="width: 704.431px;" colspan="3">
PANINI RISING STARS: NBA PLAYERS
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 358.75px; text-align: center;" colspan="2">
NBA Rookies
</td>
<td style="width: 324.604px; text-align: center;">
NBA Sophomores
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 362.625px; text-align: center;" colspan="2">
Bilal Coulibaly (Guard | Washington Wizards)
</td>
<td style="width: 326.271px; text-align: center;">
Paolo Banchero (Frontcourt | Orlando Magic)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 363.59px; text-align: center;" colspan="2">
Keyonte George (Guard | Utah Jazz)
</td>
<td style="width: 326.701px; text-align: center;">
Dyson Daniels (Guard | New Orleans Pelicans)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 363.826px; text-align: center;" colspan="2">
Jordan Hawkins (Guard | New Orleans Pelicans)
</td>
<td style="width: 326.812px; text-align: center;">
Jalen Duren (Frontcourt | Detroit Pistons)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 363.875px; text-align: center;" colspan="2">
Scoot Henderson (Guard | Portland Trail Blazers)
</td>
<td style="width: 326.847px; text-align: center;">
Jaden Ivey (Guard | Detroit Pistons)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 363.889px; text-align: center;" colspan="2">
Chet Holmgren (Frontcourt | Oklahoma City Thunder)
</td>
<td style="width: 326.854px; text-align: center;">
Walker Kessler (Frontcourt | Utah Jazz)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 363.889px; text-align: center;" colspan="2">
Jaime Jaquez Jr. (Frontcourt | Miami Heat)
</td>
<td style="width: 326.861px; text-align: center;">
Bennedict Mathurin (Guard | Indiana Pacers)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 363.889px; text-align: center;" colspan="2">
Dereck Lively II (Frontcourt | Dallas Mavericks)
</td>
<td style="width: 326.861px; text-align: center;">
Keegan Murray (Frontcourt | Sacramento Kings)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 363.889px; text-align: center;" colspan="2">
Brandon Miller (Frontcourt | Charlotte Hornets)
</td>
<td style="width: 326.861px; text-align: center;">
Shaedon Sharpe (Guard | Portland Trail Blazers)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 363.889px; text-align: center;" colspan="2">
Brandin Podziemski (Guard | Golden State Warriors)
</td>
<td style="width: 326.861px; text-align: center;">
Jabari Smith Jr. (Frontcourt | Houston Rockets)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 363.889px; text-align: center;" colspan="2">
Cason Wallace (Guard | Oklahoma City Thunder)
</td>
<td style="width: 326.861px; text-align: center;">
Jalen Williams (Frontcourt | Oklahoma City Thunder)
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td style="width: 363.889px; text-align: center;" colspan="2">
Victor Wembanyama (Frontcourt | San Antonio Spurs)
</td>
<td style="width: 326.861px; text-align: center;">&nbsp;</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
&nbsp;
<table style="height: 454px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="438">
<tbody>
<tr style="height: 54px;">
<td style="width: 423.431px; height: 54px;">
PANINI RISING STARS: NBA G LEAGUE PLAYERS
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 54px;">
<td style="width: 423.431px; height: 54px;">
Izan Almansa (Frontcourt | G League Ignite)
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 54px;">
<td style="width: 423.431px; height: 54px;">
Matas Buzelis (Frontcourt | G League Ignite)
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 54px;">
<td style="width: 423.431px; height: 54px;">
Ron Holland (Frontcourt | G League Ignite)
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 54px;">
<td style="width: 423.431px; height: 54px;">
Mac McClung (Guard | Osceola Magic)
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 54px;">
<td style="width: 423.431px; height: 54px;">
Tyler Smith (Frontcourt | G League Ignite)
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 54px;">
<td style="width: 423.431px; height: 54px;">
Oscar Tshiebwe (Frontcourt | Indiana Mad Ants)*
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 54px;">
<td style="width: 423.431px; height: 54px;">
Alondes Williams (Guard | Sioux Falls Skyforce)
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
*Two-Way Player

The NBA announced the 28 players who have earned spots to compete in the 2024 Panini Rising Stars.

NBA announces 2024 Rising Stars participants

The Osceola Magic have acquired the returning player rights to Aamir Simms from the Rip City Remix in exchange for returning player rights to Drake Jeffries, the team announced today. Osceola also recently acquired the returning player rights to Mac McClung from the Delaware Blue Coats in exchange for returning player rights to Jeff Dowtin and a second-round pick in the 2024 NBA G League Player Draft.
Simms was acquired by Rip City in the 2023-24 NBA G League Expansion Draft. Simms most recently played for the Denver Nuggets in the 2023 NBA Summer League.
Simms (6-foot-8, 245 pounds) played in 23 games (16 starts) with the Westchester Knicks in the 2021-22 season, averaging 11.2 points, 5.4 rebounds and 1.6 assists in 24.0 minutes per game, while shooting 39.4% from three-point range and 89.3% from the free throw line.&nbsp;
Simms played in 122 games (100 starts) in four seasons at Clemson University (2017-21), averaging 9.2 points and 5.2 rebounds. Simms was named to the All-Atlantic-Coast Conference Third-Team in 2020 and was named to the All-ACC Second-Team in 2022.
McClung (6-foot-2, 185 pounds) played in two games last season with the Philadelphia 76ers, averaging 12.5 points, 5.0 rebounds and 4.5 assists in 20.5 minutes per game. He also appeared in 31 games (28 starts) with Delaware of the NBA G League, averaging 19.8 points, 5.0 assists and 2.6 rebounds in 26.8 minutes per game, helping the Blue Coats capture the 2022-23 NBA G League championship. At NBA All-Star Weekend in Salt Lake City, McClung won the Slam Dunk contest.
After going undrafted in the 2021 NBA Draft, McClung has played in four career NBA regular season games with the Chicago Bulls, L.A. Lakers and 76ers, averaging 8.3 points, 3.3 rebounds and 2.5 assists in 16.3 minutes per game. He has also appeared in 58 career NBA G League outings (55 starts) with South Bay, Windy City and Delaware, averaging 20.6 points, 6.1 assists, 4.6 rebounds and 1.14 steals in 31.1 minutes per game, while shooting 50.7% (425-838) from the floor, 42.7% (123-288) from three-point range and 85.4% (134-157) from the free throw line.
McClung played in 50 career games during two seasons (2018-20) at Georgetown University, averaging 14.2 points, 2.8 rebounds, 2.2 assists and 1.06 steals in 26.6 minutes per game. During the 2018-19 season, he led all Big East freshmen in scoring and was named to the Big East All-Freshman Team. McClung also played in 29 games during one season (2020-21) at Texas Tech University, averaging 15.5 points, 2.7 rebounds and 2.1 assists in 30.2 minutes per game.
The Orlando Magic's G League affilate recently relocated from Lakeland to Osceola (and they are based in Kissimmee).&nbsp;One of 31 teams in the NBA G League, the Magic recently won the 2021 NBA G League Finals. Last season, the Magic posted a 18-14 record, which was eighth-best in the G League.

The Osceola Magic have acquired the returning player rights to forward Aamir Simms and Mac McClung, the team announced.

Osceola Magic acquire returning player rights to Aamir Simms, Mac McClung

Some moments from the 2022-23 NBA regular season:
Oct. 18: Boston defeats Philadelphia and Golden State beats the Los Angeles Lakers on opening night. <a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/golden-state-warriors-nba-sports-stephen-curry-e246e86804a28295efea3e00d33dc510" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Warriors received their championship rings</a> from last season in a ceremony preceding their game.
Oct. 20: <a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/los-angeles-lakers-san-antonio-spurs-miami-heat-nba-sports-8e45a1092f25e28f0672a83d317a9a68" target="_blank" rel="noopener">NBA referee Tony Brown, 55, dies of pancreatic cancer.</a> He worked more than 1,100 games in a two-decade career.
Nov. 4: <a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/brooklyn-nets-nba-sports-kyrie-irving-racial-injustice-972e41eed3debbd9a548433c78227f05" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Nike suspends its relationship with Kyrie Irving</a> and canceled plans to release his next signature shoe, part of the massive fallout caused by the Brooklyn Nets&rsquo; guard tweeting a link to a film containing antisemitic material. Nike and Irving eventually part ways; Irving eventually apologizes and returns to the Nets.
Nov. 5: <a class="paragraph-link" href="https://twitter.com/NBA/status/1589042762686795777?s=20&amp;t=nk9Tw0T3tQEq6Mw4vOqrsg" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Sacramento&rsquo;s De&rsquo;Aaron Fox</a> hits from just inside the midcourt stripe at the buzzer of overtime, giving the Kings a 126-123 win in Orlando.
Nov. 8: <a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/miami-heat-nba-sports-breonna-taylor-fc0f38a2c59da07f90833ae479e66cc0" target="_blank" rel="noopener">To commemorate Election Day,</a> the NBA plays no games. The league encourages its teams and fans to spend the day participating in civic engagement.
Nov. 11: The arena where the Miami Heat play starts the process of getting a new name, after the <a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/ftx-miami-heat-arena-name-change-b3f47e4fb5bb0f102560fa6956997bdb" target="_blank" rel="noopener">cryptocurrency exchange FTX collapses.</a> FTX was in the early stages of a 19-year, $135 million naming rights deal with Miami-Dade County.
Nov. 13: <a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/philadelphia-76ers-utah-jazz-nba-sports-joel-embiid-bef34587365fd8e8668f6024ab73d05a" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Philadelphia&rsquo;s Joel Embiid scores a career-best 59</a> points in a win over Utah. He adds 11 rebounds, eight assists and seven blocked shots.
Nov. 28: <a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/los-angeles-lakers-indiana-pacers-nba-sports-b6e1415dd4d8fa0fac2a10c8477da348" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Andrew Nembhard hits a 3-pointer at the buzzer</a> and Indiana stuns the Los Angeles Lakers 116-115. The Pacers trailed by 17 with 9:27 remaining; it was the biggest fourth-quarter comeback in the NBA this season.
Dec. 13: The NBA announces a rebranding of its MVP award, revealing a new trophy and a new name &mdash; <a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/chicago-bulls-charlotte-hornets-nba-sports-david-stern-de67e49f0255ef10f140365636110ae4" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Michael Jordan Trophy.</a>
Dec. 17: In Mexico City, <a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/san-antonio-spurs-miami-heat-nba-sports-duncan-robinson-074cecb1060491994c22a42efa8670a6" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Miami defeated San Antonio 111-101.</a> It was the NBA&rsquo;s first game in Mexico City since 2019.
Dec. 20: <a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/cleveland-cavaliers-phoenix-suns-college-football-nba-sports-f455a8e3b437a07aa4684c7dd3adb16b" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Mortgage billionaire Mat Ishbia</a> strikes a deal to purchase embattled Robert Sarver&rsquo;s share of the Phoenix Suns and Phoenix Mercury in a deal that values the franchise at $4 billion.
Dec. 25: Philadelphia tops New York, Dallas beats the Los Angeles Lakers, Boston beats Milwaukee, Golden State tops Memphis and Denver edges Phoenix in the NBA&rsquo;s Christmas quintupleheader.
Dec. 27: <a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/new-york-knicks-dallas-mavericks-sports-basketball-luka-doncic-ed7d9ce55160d04e2c206f6a8b742cdd" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Dallas&rsquo; Luka Doncic has a 60-point triple-double</a> in the Mavericks&rsquo; 126-121 win over New York. He added 21 rebounds and 10 assists in the first 60-20-10 game in NBA history.
Jan. 2: <a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/kobe-bryant-chicago-bulls-los-angeles-lakers-cleveland-cavaliers-utah-jazz-ef2ccddb44dd42fa14ebed5f8344c5a2" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Cleveland&rsquo;s Donovan Mitchell scores 71 points</a> in the Cavaliers&rsquo; 145-134 overtime win over Chicago. Mitchell was 22 of 34 from the field, 7 of 15 on 3-pointers and 20 for 25 from the foul line. He also had 11 assists, marking the first time anyone had more than 70 points and 10 assists in an NBA game.
Jan. 10: <a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/miami-heat-oklahoma-city-thunder-nba-sports-basketball-18113c7918466a8d6a41714b963403cb" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Miami goes 40 for 40 from the foul line</a> in a one-point win over Oklahoma City. The 40-for-40 breaks the previous NBA record of 39-for-39 by Utah in 1982.
Jan. 13: <a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/chicago-bulls-atlanta-hawks-san-antonio-spurs-nba-sports-e05988d6e1537c605aad5ea8a14d4887" target="_blank" rel="noopener">At the Alamodome in San Antonio,</a> the Spurs sell an NBA-record 68,323 tickets for a game against Golden State.
Jan. 19: With presumed 2023 No. 1 draft pick Victor Wembanyama sitting courtside, Zach LaVine scores 30 points and the <a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/chicago-bulls-nba-sports-jaden-ivey-hamidou-diallo-3770db44edb9a08e1ad116ecad45109f" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Chicago Bulls ease past the Detroit Pistons 126-108</a> in Paris. France was the seventh different country to host an NBA practice or game this season.
Feb. 6: <a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/los-angeles-lakers-new-york-knicks-dallas-mavericks-clippers-nba-ea90e45174274a917654448db9554dfc" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Brooklyn trades Kyrie Irving to Dallas,</a> ending his up-and-down stint with the Nets that was more memorable for off-the-court challenges than actual play.
Feb. 7: <a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/lebron-james-nba-scoring-record-cd0df2a355eaf80c6d534cbb16d44ca9" target="_blank" rel="noopener">LeBron James makes a 14-foot jumper late in the third quarter to break Kareem Abdul-Jabbar&rsquo;s career NBA scoring record.</a> Abdul-Jabbar held the mark since 1984 and was in Los Angeles to watch James&rsquo; record-breaker.
Feb. 9: <a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/brooklyn-nets-phoenix-suns-nba-sports-basketball-3932b34f477549895cce131490bec86d" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Brooklyn trades Kevin Durant to Phoenix,</a> a blockbuster on NBA trade-deadline day.
Feb. 16: <a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/boston-celtics-nba-sports-basketball-ime-udoka-151efe3c319c986b770437cd25794339" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Boston removes the interim title from 34-year-old coach Joe Mazzulla,</a> the former assistant who took over the Celtics in September after now-former coach Ime Udoka was suspended by the team for having an inappropriate relationship with a woman in the organization.
Feb. 18: <a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/milwaukee-bucks-sports-nba-all-star-game-walker-kessler-collin-sexton-6a2ea26147bafb0f80ea77620cacf2e9" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Philadelphia&rsquo;s Mac McClung puts on a scintillating show</a> to win the dunk contest at All-Star weekend. Portland&rsquo;s Damian Lillard wins the 3-point contest and Utah players Jordan Clarkson, Walker Kessler and Collin Sexton combined to win the Skills Challenge.
Feb. 19: <a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/nba-sports-lebron-james-kyrie-irving-giannis-antetokounmpo-2cf83e2e57350687e68ba89a6deb2707" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Boston&rsquo;s Jayson Tatum scores a record 55 points</a> and Team Giannis tops Team LeBron 184-175 to win the All-Star Game in Salt Lake City.
Feb. 24: <a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/los-angeles-clippers-sacramento-kings-nba-sports-malik-monk-4047cea9a226d5fd135de97c65d0d054" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Sacramento defeats the Los Angeles Clippers 176-175.</a> The 351 combined points are the second-most in NBA history, behind only Detroit&rsquo;s 186-184 win over Denver on Dec. 13, 1983.
Feb. 26: <a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/houston-rockets-portland-trail-blazers-nba-sports-damian-lillard-1e1a83642e942d51d91ee014b5b7947c" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Portland&rsquo;s Damian Lillard scores 71 points</a> in the Trail Blazers&rsquo; 131-114 win over Houston. Lillard made 22 of 38 shots from the field, 13 of 22 from 3-point range and all 14 of his free throws. He also led Portland in assists, with six.
Feb. 27: <a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/utah-jazz-atlanta-hawks-nba-sports-playoffs-264bcc009ce664a640b5c903e35f1656" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Atlanta introduces Quin Snyder</a> as its new coach, after firing Nate McMillan about a week earlier.
March 4: Memphis guard Ja Morant live-streams himself holding a gun while inside a Denver-area strip club. He quickly announces he was taking &ldquo;some time away to get help&rdquo; and ultimately was <a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/ja-morant-suspended-nba-gun-video-8cc82061f6465f96d6c5d0806d92d7d0" target="_blank" rel="noopener">suspended for eight games by the NBA</a> for his personal conduct.
March 17 and 19: A tale of two comebacks. San Antonio blew a 29-point lead on March 17 and lost to Memphis 126-120; two nights later, the Spurs rallied from a 24-point second-half deficit and beat Atlanta 126-118. It was the biggest second-half comeback for the Spurs under coach Gregg Popovich.
March 29: Jrue Holiday has 51 points, eight assists and eight rebounds, while Giannis Antetokounmpo adds 38 points, 17 rebounds and 12 assists, and Milwaukee tops Indiana 149-136. <a class="paragraph-link" href="https://twitter.com/Bucks/status/1641271779380559872?s=20" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">It&rsquo;s the first time in NBA history two teammates</a> have had at least 38 points, eight assists and eight rebounds in the same game.
April 1: In the early morning hours, <a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/nba-labor-players-0cf524b13e459eeb5853dad9a455e0e0" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the NBA and the National Basketball Players Association strike a handshake deal</a> on what, if approved by owners and players, will be a seven-year Collective Bargaining Agreement that will take effect in July and ensure labor peace in the league until at least 2029.
April 7: Dallas sits several regulars, including Kyrie Irving, and plays Luka Doncic for only about a quarter in a loss to Chicago. The loss eliminated the Mavericks from postseason contention and the team&rsquo;s motivation for losing catches the eye of the NBA, <a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/mavericks-playoffs-nba-investigation-tanking-7ac5f76590adafd9df1c7c590a78d346" target="_blank" rel="noopener">which opens an investigation the next day.</a>
April 9: Udonis Haslem scores 24 points in his final regular season game, as his 20-year career with the Miami Heat draws to an end. <a class="paragraph-link" href="https://apnews.com/article/magic-heat-haslem-finale-f8e560c77aa5c36a20dbb12ebb58fca5" target="_blank" rel="noopener">At 42, he&rsquo;s nearly two years older</a> than anyone else to have scored at least 24 points in an NBA game.

Tim Reynolds of the Associated Press revisits the notable moments from the 2022-23 NBA season.

Season of NBA moments: LeBron, Lillard, Mitchell and more

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) &mdash; Mac McClung might have single-handedly restored the shine on a dunk contest that has been widely panned in recent years.
McClung, the 6-foot-2 Philadelphia guard on a two-way contract, defeated New Orleans&rsquo; Trey Murphy III in the finals of the dunk contest, culminating an NBA All-Star Saturday that may have finally answered the question as to whether what used to be the league&rsquo;s signature event can be glitzy again.
McClung had the answer: Absolutely.
&ldquo;I&rsquo;m truly blessed and grateful for the NBA giving me this opportunity,&rdquo; McClung said.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
MAC MCCLUNG 😳<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ATTSlamDunk?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ATTSlamDunk</a> <a href="https://t.co/0wuoeaeqc6">pic.twitter.com/0wuoeaeqc6</a>
&mdash; NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBAonTNT/status/1627142230833233920?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 19, 2023</a></blockquote>

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A 540-degree dunk &mdash; not a 360, but a 540, him doing one-and-a-half rotations in the air, a move more reserved for figure skaters and skateboarders than basketball players &mdash; was his third perfect score of the night out of four dunks. By the time the judges&rsquo; scores came up it was already decided. Everyone in the building knew he&rsquo;d already won.
&ldquo;It&rsquo;s over,&rdquo; McClung said.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
"IT IS OVER LADIES AND GENTLEMAN" 🗣<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ATTSlamDunk?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ATTSlamDunk</a> <a href="https://t.co/WP098H7fav">pic.twitter.com/WP098H7fav</a>
&mdash; NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBAonTNT/status/1627148864238284802?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 19, 2023</a></blockquote>

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It was. And he immediately committed to defending his title at Indianapolis at All-Star Saturday next year.
&ldquo;If you guys will have me, I&rsquo;ll be back,&rdquo; McClung said.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
&ldquo;WELCOME TO THE NBA&rdquo; 🗣 Mac McClung showing out at <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ATTSlamDunk?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ATTSlamDunk</a> ‼️ <a href="https://t.co/fWLEhtes2a">pic.twitter.com/fWLEhtes2a</a>
&mdash; NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBAonTNT/status/1627145698516017152?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 19, 2023</a></blockquote>

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The final score, not that it mattered, was McClung 100.0, Murphy 98.0.
His is an unbelievable story: McClung has played mostly in the G League, where he ranks 36th in scoring this season at 19 points per game. He was undrafted in 2021 after spending three college seasons at Georgetown and Texas Tech. He was signed by Golden State last year but never played in a regular-season game for the Warriors, and spent a little time on USA Basketball&rsquo;s World Cup qualifying team last year as well.&nbsp;
&ldquo;Ever since the beginning, I was the underdog,&rdquo; said McClung, who put on a Gate City jersey &mdash; his high school and hometown in Virginia, population 1,600 &mdash; for the final dunk. &ldquo;Proving others right instead of others wrong brings a little more satisfaction.&rdquo;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
A 50 for Mac McClung 😮&zwj;💨<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ATTSlamDunk?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ATTSlamDunk</a> <a href="https://t.co/ZBI93JcSUF">pic.twitter.com/ZBI93JcSUF</a>
&mdash; NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBAonTNT/status/1627147897665110016?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 19, 2023</a></blockquote>

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Philadelphia would become his third NBA team, and he hasn&rsquo;t even played for the 76ers yet. He played in one game last season for the Chicago Bulls, one other game for the Los Angeles Lakers.
He has three NBA baskets.
He had four dunks on Saturday night. A guy with more dunks than actual NBA field goals might have saved the dunk contest.
&ldquo;Give this man his flowers, man,&rdquo; TNT commentator Kenny Smith said.
McClung set the tone for the night with a dunk that had NBA superstars in disbelief &mdash; he leaped over two people, took the ball out of the hands of one of them, tapped it on the backboard and then threw down a reverse slam.
And that was just for starters.
Riding the momentum of that perfect dunk, he wound up hoisting the trophy that was newly renamed for dunking legend &mdash; and former 76ers star &mdash; Julius &ldquo;Dr. J&rdquo; Erving.
&ldquo;I&rsquo;m super happy,&rdquo; McClung said.
McClung was nearly perfect on his second dunk as well; four judges gave him a perfect 50, Lisa Leslie gave him a 49 as the only dissenter, but it didn&rsquo;t matter &mdash; he was already assured a spot in the final round against Murphy.
New York&rsquo;s Jericho Sims gave himself a 50 on his second dunk, where he attached an envelope to the net, pulled it down after the dunk and displayed &ldquo;50&rdquo; to the world. No judge agreed, and his two-dunk score of 95.4 wasn&rsquo;t good enough to make the final round.
Also eliminated after Round 1: Houston&rsquo;s Kenyon Martin Jr., with a score of 93.2.

Mac McClung, the 6-foot-2 Philadelphia guard on a two-way contract, defeated Trey Murphy III in the finals of the dunk contest.

Mac McClung soars to slam dunk title at All-Star Saturday

New Orleans Pelicans guard Jose Alvarado&rsquo;s drifting 3-pointer clinched a 25-20 win for Team Pau (Gasol) over Team Joakim (Noah) in the title game of the Rising Stars event Friday at All-Star weekend.
Alvarado, who was named the Most Valuable Player, had five points in the title game.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
A certified bucket getter. Peep Jose Alvarado's <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/JordanRisingStars?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#JordanRisingStars</a> MVP mixtape 🔥 <a href="https://t.co/6SoruJRNsP">pic.twitter.com/6SoruJRNsP</a>
&mdash; NBA (@NBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBA/status/1626800481539354630?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 18, 2023</a></blockquote>

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The win capped a memorable day for Gasol, who was named a Basketball Hall of Fame finalist earlier Friday.
&ldquo;I&rsquo;m going out on top. It may be one and done for me,&rdquo; Gasol said of his coaching debut.
New York&rsquo;s Quentin Grimes scored 14 points in the final but was wrapped up &mdash; literally held at times &mdash; by Alvarado down the stretch.
&ldquo;I didn&rsquo;t know you could do that in the Rising Stars game. I should have alerted the refs to call a technical or something,&rdquo; Grimes said. &ldquo;It was all fun but I was going for the win tonight.&rdquo;
Said Alvarado: &ldquo;It might not have been (legal), but he was doing good.&rdquo;
The four teams, comprised of 21 first- and second-year NBA players along with seven G League players, competed in semifinals games to a target score of 40.
Alvarado&rsquo;s 13 points helped Team Pau top Team Deron (Williams) in the first game 40-27, despite an array of spectacular dunks by Trey Murphy III.
In the second semifinal, Grimes scored 13 points including the winning 3 to power Team Joakim over Team Jason (Terry), composed of the G Leaguers. Mac McClung, who is competing in Saturday&rsquo;s Dunk Contest, nearly stole the show with 10 points in the comeback bid but missed a jam on his last attempt.
CELEBRITY GAME
Team Dwyane rallied in the fourth quarter to beat Team Ryan 81-78 in the NBA All-Star Celebrity Game on Friday night. Utah Jazz owner Ryan Smith and Basketball Hall of Fame finalist Dwyane Wade served as honorary captains of the celebrity teams.
Seattle Seahawks receiver DK Metcalf paced Team Dwyane with 20 points and 10 rebounds &mdash; but he&rsquo;ll be best remembered for an array of dunks. Actor Everett Osbourne led Team Ryan with 23 points, 12 rebounds and three assists. Metcalf was named the game&rsquo;s MVP.
Each celebrity team included a WNBA All-Star. Phoenix Mercury guard Diamond DeShields played for Team Ryan. Dallas Wings guard Arike Ogunbowale played for Team Dwyane. Other notable athletes participating included former NFL player Calvin Johnson and former MLB player Albert Pujols.
Wade added former NBA player Carlos Boozer to his team in the second half. Smith countered by adding former NBA player Richard Jefferson. Jefferson served as part of the officiating crew during the first half; he also worked as an official for one quarter of a Summer League game in Las Vegas last year.
Between the game, and a 3-point shootout between Smith and Wade, $142,000 was raised for 5 for the Fight, a charitable foundation devoted to funding cancer research.
Smith said the funds raised on Friday would benefit the Huntsman Cancer Institute on the University of Utah campus.
JABARI ON JORDAN
Houston&rsquo;s Jabari Smith Jr. was asked if Michael Jordan &mdash; who turned 60 on Friday &mdash; could compete if they were were to play 1-on-1 now.
Smith was pretty sure Jordan wouldn&rsquo;t be getting buckets.
&ldquo;He&rsquo;s not beating me right now. If a 60-year-old is hooping on me, I need to hang it up,&rdquo; Smith said. He then added, &ldquo;Happy Birthday, MJ!&rdquo;
SHORT STUFF
Alvarado is listed at 6 feet, which might be a tiny bit generous.
He doesn&rsquo;t mind.
When told before Friday&rsquo;s Rising Stars event that he was a hero for the undersized, Alvarado had a message for others who consider themselves vertically challenged.
&ldquo;Hey short people, I&rsquo;m just like y&rsquo;all. We got a lot of heart,&rdquo; Alvarado said. &ldquo;I see lots of other little guys tagging me on Instagram. I see your love. Keep being yourself, don&rsquo;t try to be nobody else.&rdquo;
Alvarado admitted that the highlights of him hiding behind bigger players to get steals in the backcourt is making it tougher to surprise opponents.
&ldquo;Everybody seen those clips. Now, so I just got to find another way, but I&rsquo;m crafty,&rdquo; he said.
WELCOME MOMENT
Oklahoma City&rsquo;s Jalen Williams said the season has been like a dream. He used to wear Derrick Rose&rsquo;s shoes constantly when he was younger and then found himself guarding D-Rose in Madison Square Garden.
&ldquo;So wild,&rdquo; Williams said before the Rising Stars games. &ldquo;Going up against people that I watched on TV is definitely kind of surreal.&rdquo;

Pelicans guard Jose Alvarado’s drifting three clinched a 25-20 win for Team Pau over Team Joakim in the Rising Stars title game.

Jose Alvarado wins Rising Stars MVP, leads Team Pau over Team Joakim

The NBA officially announced the four players who will compete in the 2023 Slam Dunk Contest during NBA All-Star Saturday Night in Utah.
The following players are participating:
&bull; K.J. Martin, Houston Rockets
&bull;&nbsp;Trey Murphy III, New Orleans Pelicans
&bull;&nbsp;Jericho Sims, New York Knicks
&bull; Mac McClung, Philadelphia 76ers
The four dunkers will compete in the two-round competition. The NBA also announced that this year's Slam Dunk Contest will be judged by Karl Malone, Dominique Wilkins, Harold Miner, Lisa Leslie and Jamal Crawford.
The Slam Dunk Contest will air on TNT on Feb. 18 at 8 p.m. ET.
Last year, New York Knicks forward Obi Toppin won the 2022 Slam Dunk Contest in Cleveland.
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The AT&amp;T Slam Dunk participants ⬇️ Event format and rules: <a href="https://t.co/ablHEJiuxU">https://t.co/ablHEJiuxU</a> <a href="https://t.co/mPI2q9c0Hd">pic.twitter.com/mPI2q9c0Hd</a>
&mdash; NBA Communications (@NBAPR) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBAPR/status/1625647256551424000?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 15, 2023</a></blockquote>

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The NBA officially announced the four players who will compete in the 2023 Slam Dunk Contest on NBA All-Star Saturday Night.

NBA announces Slam Dunk Contest participants, judges

NEW YORK &ndash; The NBA G League today announced details for its first NBA G League Next Up Game, which will take place at NBA All-Star 2023 in Salt Lake City at the Jon M. Huntsman Center on Sunday, Feb. 19 at 3 p.m. ET live on NBA TV.
Twenty-four NBA G League players, including 10 selected by a fan vote, will compete in the Next Up Game. All NBA G League contract players currently on rosters and NBA Two-Way players who have played in at least four NBA G League games this year are eligible to be selected. Fans can vote for their favorite NBA G League players on NBAGLeague.com/vote. Voting opens on Friday, Jan. 13 at 9:00 a.m. ET and closes Friday, Feb. 3 at 11:59 p.m. ET.
The remaining 14 players will be selected by the NBA G League and will include members of NBA G League Ignite and at least one member of the Salt Lake City Stars, the G League affiliate of the Utah Jazz.
The player who receives the most fan votes will captain one team while a player from NBA G League Ignite will helm the other, with each captain drafting their 12-man roster. NBA G League head coaches will lead the squads and be joined by celebrity assistant coaches. The 24-player field, 12-man rosters and the coaching staffs will be announced before the draft.
Fans can click here to purchase tickets for the NBA G League Next Up Game, and download the new NBA App for the latest NBA All-Star 2023 content, including premier benefits and fan rewards offered through NBA ID, the league&rsquo;s new membership program. The NBA Events App and NBAEvents.com are available as on-the-ground resources for everything related to NBA All-Star 2023, providing fans with the most up-to-date information on event schedules, tickets and exclusive experiences.
About the NBA G League
The NBA&rsquo;s official minor league, the NBA G League prepares players, coaches, officials, training and front-office staff for the NBA while acting as the league&rsquo;s research and development laboratory. Featuring 30 teams, 28 with direct affiliations to NBA franchises for 2022-23, the league offers elite professional basketball at an affordable price in a fun, family-friendly atmosphere. A record 47 percent of all players on 2022-23 NBA opening night rosters boasted NBA G League experience. In fostering the league&rsquo;s connection to the community, its teams, players and staff promote health and wellness, support local needs and interests, and assist in educational development through NBA Cares programs.
About NBA All-Star 2023
NBA All-Star 2023 in Salt Lake City, hosted in conjunction with the Utah Jazz, will bring together the most talented and passionate players for a global celebration of the league. The NBA All-Star Game will take place on Sunday, Feb. 19 at Vivint Arena, home to the Utah Jazz. TNT will televise the All-Star Game for the 21st consecutive year, marking Turner Sports&rsquo; 38th year of NBA All-Star coverage. Vivint Arena will also host NBA Rising Stars on Friday, Feb. 17 and State Farm All-Star Saturday Night on Saturday, Feb. 18.

Twenty-four NBA G League players, including 10 selected by a fan vote, will compete in the Next Up Game.

NBA G League Next Up Game to debut at NBA All-Star 2023

In recent years, the NBA G League <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/shareef-abdurrahim" target="_blank" rel="noopener">has grown in popularity</a>. Teams are utilizing the benefits it provides, players are taking advantage of the opportunity it presents and fans are tuning in to see talents who will eventually be gracing the big stage in the Association.
Due to the increasing demand of more coverage around the league itself and the top-prospect-laden Ignite program, the G League has aligned with The General Insurance to produce an eight-part docuseries called "The Break."
Two shows in since premiering last month, "The Break" will drop new episodes roughly every three weeks and conclude in April. The project features <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/scoot-henderson-aspirations-far-exceed-any-hype-we-can-give-him" target="_blank" rel="noopener">rising Ignite star Scoot Henderson</a>, 2020-21 G League Rookie of the Year Mac McClung and longtime veteran and two-time NBA champion Norris Cole. In these episodes, you're taken both behind the scenes and on the court with exclusive footage that illustrates these players'&nbsp; respective paths to the NBA.
To learn more about the series, the process behind it and more, Basketball News discussed "The Break" with G League Head of Partnerships George Wilson.
The amount of attention that was on Scoot Henderson and Victor Wembanyama this fall before the season began was historic. Was that the basis for the idea to start the show? If not, what was?
George Wilson: "We decided to create this docuseries with The General so we could bring our fans closer to the game by following our players as they strive to realize their goal of making it to the NBA.
"But, the attention surrounding Scoot and Victor &mdash; the presumptive top two picks in the 2023 NBA Draft &mdash; is certainly undeniable, and they served as the perfect starting point for this series in the first episode. Beyond Scoot and Victor, the basis in developing this series was to foster deeper connections between our fans and the players around the league. The G League is filled with incredible talent, improving year after year, with almost half of NBA players on opening night rosters having played in the G League. So we are glad this docuseries could further shine a light on their journeys."
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Could you give some background as to why you chose Scoot Henderson, Mac McClung and Norris Cole to be featured on the show throughout the eight-part series in particular? 
Wilson: "Scoot, Mac and Norris are all playing in the G League, but each is on a different path to the next level in the NBA. They really represent the diversity in the league, and that it is a place for players at different stages of their careers to achieve their dreams. Whether it&rsquo;s through a likely top pick in the 2023 NBA Draft in Scoot Henderson, the 2021-22 Kia NBA G League Rookie of the Year in Mac McClung or a two-time NBA Champion in Norris Cole, we sought to effectively showcase that this league doesn&rsquo;t have one linear path. The NBA G League is filled with hundreds of players who have such compelling stories, all looking to achieve a common goal, and we&rsquo;re glad our fans can be a part of their journeys through this docuseries."
What were each of those three players' reactions when you told them they'd be a part of this series? Was there any input on their end idea-wise?
Wilson: "The players were very excited to be featured in the series and bring our fans along the way throughout the season. They have input throughout, from start to finish. Before each episode, we work with them as they offer any suggestions. For example, earlier this season, Mac&rsquo;s family came to a game and nearly 30 of his family members and friends wore &ldquo;Mac&rdquo; T-shirts in the crowd, so when Mac gave us a heads up, we wanted to be sure to capture that as part of the episode. Our job in collaboration with the team at Blue Cup Productions is to ensure that we&rsquo;re authentic in the way in which we feature our players and personalities. So their input and ideas are critical to this project&rsquo;s overall success."
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Why is it important for the G League to share the inside track to these players/teams off the court?
Wilson: "We continue to hear from our fans that they are seeking increased access to our players and teams. This docuseries allows us to meet our fans where they are, offering them continued compelling content to engage with our league and players. A player&rsquo;s path through the G League can often be overlooked, so it was important through our collaboration with The General to showcase these players&rsquo; incredible journeys and the amount of work they put in throughout the season to achieve their goals. The league and its players also continue to garner added attention each season, so we are glad this docuseries met the demand we saw from our fans in wanting increased content."
To that point, do you feel like this docuseries will help illustrate the G League's growing popularity? Also, why do you think so many people have taken notice of it in these recent seasons?
Wilson: "Our hope is that the docuseries showcases the league&rsquo;s growing popularity and the tremendous talent filled in this league. The G League&rsquo;s growth, particularly over the past few years, has truly been remarkable. As mentioned, nearly half of the players on NBA opening night rosters played in the G League. Ten years ago, that percentage sat at roughly 19%. That also extends to coaches, with six NBA head coaches having spent time on G League benches, and more than 75 NBA assistant coaches were assistant or head coaches in the G League.
"The G League has also helped the NBA infrastructure grow, and we have always been an effective testing ground for NBA rules and procedures. The Coach&rsquo;s Challenge and the 14-second reset on offensive rebounds were initially used in our league and are now a staple of every NBA game. This past week, we employed Final Target Scores at the 2022 AT&amp;T NBA G League Winter Showcase, and the data from those finishes is extremely valuable in helping potentially enhance the game experience for fans and players. We&rsquo;ve also been using Final Target Scores throughout the regular season, as every G League game that goes into overtime ends on a target score.
"Certainly, we&rsquo;ve seen a significant amount of attention recently surrounding our NBA G League Ignite team with the number of talented players from that team now in the NBA. Additionally, the Capitanes&rsquo; first season in Mexico City marks an important milestone for the G League and the NBA in our ongoing commitment to growing the game across Latin America.
"We&rsquo;re looking forward to ongoing momentum throughout the rest of the season and beyond, with additional players landing on NBA rosters, and our league continuing to serve as a hub for innovation."
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Why did partnering with The General make sense for this particular project?
Wilson: "The General was a perfect fit and collaborator for this project, with its brand positioning focused on serving as an empathetic and flexible insurance company that is committed to putting its customers first and giving them a break when they need it most. This docuseries spotlights the players in the G League who are working for the break they deserve, which aligns with the series title &ndash; 'The Break presented by The General.'&nbsp; From the beginning of our marketing partnership, The General has been passionate about spotlighting the athletes who push themselves to succeed, and we are proud to help bring that to life, helping provide our players with the attention they deserve through this docuseries."
What is the process like in putting together the episodes and the length of the editing process?
Wilson: "The filming and editing process is a very lengthy and detailed one, considering the amount of footage we capture. The audio producer for this series also creates custom music and sound for each episode to set the mood for each scene, almost creating more of a movie-like atmosphere. There&rsquo;s an incredible amount of detail and care behind each frame of each episode, which is a credit to our talented team &mdash; in particular the director in Taylor Sharp, the editor and shooter in Holland Gallagher, as well as the audio producer in Russell Perna."
Looking ahead, what is your goal for this project? Is this a series you could see coming back next season? &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;
Wilson: "We are looking forward to continuing to engage our fans with this docuseries and the additional episodes that will run through April. The fan response and engagement thus far has truly been incredible and we are excited for what we have planned for the rest of the season, and from there, we&rsquo;ll see what&rsquo;s in store for ahead."

Spencer Davies and G League Head of Partnerships George Wilson discuss the league's eight-part YouTube docuseries and its details.

G League docuseries 'The Break' spotlighting unique paths to NBA

Following a 12-year NBA career, Shareef Abdur-Rahim retired from basketball on September 22, 2008. The former All-Star, Olympic gold medalist and No. 3 overall pick averaged 18.1 points and 7.5 rebounds over the course of 836 NBA games.
After his playing days, Abdur-Rahim spent five years as an assistant coach and assistant general manager with the Sacramento Kings, then served as the general manager of the NBA G League&rsquo;s Reno Bighorns. From there, he spent two years working in the NBA league office.
All of these jobs helped prepare him for his current role: president of the NBA G League. Over the last four years, the 46-year-old has helped the G League grow &ndash; from the launch of the G League Ignite to the league&rsquo;s expansion into Mexico with the addition of the Mexico City Capitanes (the first G League team outside of the United States and Canada).&nbsp;
Abdur-Rahim opened up to Basketball News about the G League&rsquo;s growth, the league&rsquo;s decision to acquire the Capitanes, what his job entails and much more.
The G League acquired the Mexico City Capitanes from the Liga Nacional de Baloncesto Profesional. What went into the decision to add the Capitanes to the G League?
Shareef Abdur-Rahim: &ldquo;Starting broader, there&rsquo;s the ongoing commitment that the NBA has had to Latin America and Mexico City. [Tonight] is the 31st game that the NBA has brought to Mexico, and there&rsquo;s an overall commitment of developing players and developing basketball there &ndash; we have an NBA Academy there. So, I think that was really the start, just the commitment that the NBA has had over the years to Mexico and Latin America.&nbsp;
&ldquo;Then, from a G League perspective, we are flexible and positioned in a way where we can add a team. The process of doing that isn&rsquo;t as extensive as it is [in the NBA] &ndash; even though it&rsquo;s been a lot of work. We can add a team and have a permanent residency in Mexico City in a way that maybe right now the NBA can&rsquo;t. It just made a lot of sense and, so far, it&rsquo;s been going really well. We&rsquo;re really proud of the opportunity we have with Capitanes."
As you mentioned, tonight will be the 31st NBA game in Mexico City, and today marks the 30th anniversary of the NBA&rsquo;s first-ever game there. How have the local fans responded to the Capitanes and has the G League become more popular in Mexico?
Abdur-Rahim: &ldquo;Everything points to it being positive. It&rsquo;s early, so it&rsquo;s hard to say the total impact and the numbers and that sort of thing. But you think of having 50 games broadcast in Mexico [and the impact that has]. Attendance has been strong. Merchandise of the Capitanes is selling well and setting records in the G League, setting a new tone for what teams can do with merchandise. Last year, when they weren&rsquo;t in Mexico City, you had fans traveling to the United States to support the team. Not to mention, the size of the market and everything we can do there. It&rsquo;s early, but all of the early indicators are extremely positive and point to there being a lot of excitement and support around the team.&rdquo;
(Editor&rsquo;s Note: The Capitanes&rsquo; home debut drew a crowd of 7,391 fans, which is the largest home-opener crowd in the G League since 2019.)
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Does the G League hope to continue expanding and adding more international teams in the near future?
Abdur-Rahim: &ldquo;It&rsquo;s not something that I&rsquo;ll close the door on. But I can say: there aren&rsquo;t a ton of markets &ndash; maybe Canada &ndash; where you have the travel ease. Mexico comes with some challenges, but [it&rsquo;s somewhere] our teams can get to. I wouldn&rsquo;t close the door on it, but it&rsquo;s not something that we&rsquo;re focused on at the moment.&rdquo;&nbsp;
The G League is known for getting creative and trying new things, especially in recent years &ndash; from creating the G League Ignite, to acquiring the Capitanes, to experimenting with different rules. Are there any other creative ideas you guys are actively considering?&nbsp;
Abdur-Rahim: &ldquo;This year, all of our overtime games have the final target score &ndash; the first team to 7 is the winner. That&rsquo;s just innovation and trying things and experimenting with rules; that&rsquo;s kinda the lifeblood and DNA of the G League. It&rsquo;s something that we always want to look at and try to do. We want to be a little bit different. That&rsquo;s always a part of what we do, and we&rsquo;ll keep doing that. Historically, a lot of that [experimenting] has been based on basketball rules, but we want to continue to push the envelope from a business and fan-engagement standpoint as well.&rdquo;
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You were named the president of the NBA G League in 2018, and the league has seemingly made huge strides over the last four years. From when you took over to now, what are your thoughts on the G League&rsquo;s growth and how far it has come?
Abdur-Rahim: &ldquo;I&rsquo;m excited about it, but I think we&rsquo;re still just scratching the surface as far as what we can be. I&rsquo;m just looking forward to us continuing to grow, continuing to try new things and continuing to be bigger and stronger as a basketball league, but also an overall business.&rdquo;
The G League Ignite have attracted top prospects and helped them become top picks in the NBA Draft. What are your thoughts on the Ignite and the success they&rsquo;ve had?
Abdur-Rahim: &ldquo;We&rsquo;re really proud of them. I think there have been something like eight NBA draft picks and 10 players overall who are in the NBA. And I think we&rsquo;ve got another good group this year. I&rsquo;m really proud of what we&rsquo;ve been able to do with the Ignite and what they mean to the G League and the opportunity we&rsquo;ve been able to give young players.&rdquo;
You played in the NBA for more than a decade, and then you worked as an NBA assistant coach, an NBA assistant GM and a G League GM before becoming president of the G League. How did your time as a player, coach and executive help prepare you for your current role in the G League?
Abdur-Rahim: &ldquo;I think those jobs all prepared me in different ways for this role and kinda giving me context about the G League. They definitely prepared me, man. And they positioned me and set me up to learn and grow. Some of my skills and the information I have come from my past, and then there was a lot that was left for me to learn and get up-to-speed with, and that&rsquo;s what I&rsquo;ve tried to focus on and do.&rdquo;
Can you share what a typical day is like for you and what your job as NBA G League president entails?&nbsp;
Abdur-Rahim: &ldquo;A typical day ranges from speaking to our G League team presidents and owners about how we continue to grow the G League and grow our game, to visiting markets and those sort of things, to meeting with our business partners &ndash; be it someone like The General Insurance, who is a new partner, or someone like ESPN, who is a more established partner. I think of myself like the chief advocate of the G League &ndash; telling our story, communicating the vision and sharing the prospects of our league.&nbsp;
&ldquo;And then there is the stuff that&rsquo;s fun like watching basketball, talking about basketball. [Having conversations like], &lsquo;What&rsquo;s the future of basketball?&rsquo; Thinking of how we can continue to make the league better for our players. Our players are unionized now, so there&rsquo;s now an element of my day where I&rsquo;m co-existing with and working in partnership with the players&rsquo; union. It&rsquo;s all of that. There are some standard meetings and stuff that we do, but every day has a level of variety and I enjoy that.&rdquo;
Do you have goals going forward &ndash; either individually or for the G League as a whole?
Abdur-Rahim: &ldquo;Yeah, I think we kind of go through a [goal-setting] process as a league, and my goals are all pretty much connected to our league. For one, we want to continue to be the best place in the world to develop and prepare for the NBA. I know people hear that and think of players, but it&rsquo;s really for all people at this point &ndash; coaches, officials, business people, operations people, media, everything. We want to continue to establish that pipeline even more. We think we have something really exciting and special with the G League when we look at how the talent in the league is evolving and our connection to the NBA, so we want to continue to sell that story and build our audience. I think that telling our story and sharing that message [is important] along with continuing to build up our teams. The success at our team level and, locally, engaging with communities and having 30 strong teams is important, so we want to continue to do that. And we want to keep trying new things. Try to do things in a way that distinguishes the G League in its own way, so it is its own brand. That&rsquo;s what we want to do.&rdquo;
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I feel like there used to be a stigma that came with playing in the G League, especially if you were a top pick or a veteran player. Now, there are so many players with G League experience and it feels like that stigma is gone, which is great. Why do you think that is?
Abdur-Rahim: &ldquo;Well, I think it&rsquo;s two things. For one, I think players have seen so many examples of players who have had success &ndash; guys like Jeremy Lin, Seth Curry, Khris Middleton and all of our alumni. There are stories every year of players who start in some form in the G League and then elevate, so we&rsquo;ve become a real option for players and not something that&rsquo;s looked down upon. And then I think the integration with the NBA &ndash; with so many NBA teams owning G League teams and being connected to their G League team and truly integrating and seeing value in their G League team &ndash; has just improved the experience. Without a doubt, NBA teams know and understand the talent in the G League and have continued to invest in the G League, so the experience for players continues to get better, the coaching continues to get better and the opportunities for players continue to get better. As a league, we continue to try to improve the quality of life and the opportunity and the platform [for players] &ndash; from the number of teams, to the number of nationally televised games, to adding international games, to having higher salaries, to having more opportunities to get called up or signed to the NBA. All of that has just changed the idea of the G League and we want to continue to build on that.
&ldquo;This is a really exciting time for the G League. We have 30 teams for the first time &ndash; the 28 teams that are connected to NBA teams and then the two independent teams that have their own focuses and purposes &ndash; the international team in Mexico and the [Ignite] for young players. If you look at the young talent across our league, I think it&rsquo;s really a changing dynamic of our league where it&rsquo;s not just the players who have been overlooked anymore; now, we have these young, exciting players that NBA teams have assigned. We&rsquo;ve had 14 first-round picks get assigned [this season], from Washington&rsquo;s Johnny Davis to Charlotte&rsquo;s Mark Williams. In the past, lottery picks weren&rsquo;t really assigned to the G League, [but that&rsquo;s changing]. You also have the younger players who are sort of in-between like Sharife Cooper, Mac McClung &ndash; really good players who are just on the cusp &ndash; to experienced players like Jahlil Okafor, Norris Cole who are waiting to see what their next opportunity will be. I think it&rsquo;s just a really exciting time for our league and we want to continue to elevate it and tell our story.&rdquo;
You&rsquo;ve been very successful since retiring. What advice would you give to active players who are approaching retirement?
Abdur-Rahim: &ldquo;If possible, I think it starts earlier than retirement. People tell you this forever, but just know that your time as a player will end, so try to be curious and try to learn as much as you can and don&rsquo;t just limit yourself to just what you do on the court. There&rsquo;s so much that&rsquo;s going on around the game, so try to be curious about that and build relationships. And then, take your time to really find where your path is and what things you want to contribute beyond just being on the court. I think those are some of the really important things. Start early if you can. Be curious and learn as much as you can. Always value relationships &ndash; the same people I dealt with as a player are a lot of times the same people that I&rsquo;m dealing with in my role now. It is a transition, but be open to continue learning and don&rsquo;t be afraid of it.&rdquo;

NBA G League president Shareef Abdur-Rahim opens up about the league's growth, international expansion and more.

Shareef Abdur-Rahim on NBA G League's growth, Ignite's success, more

<a href="https://twitter.com/ShamsCharania/status/1549896252132827136" target="_blank" rel="noopener">According to The Athletic's Shams Charania</a>, Mac McClung has agreed on a one-year deal with the Golden State Warriors.
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Guard Mac McClung has agreed on a one-year deal with the Golden State Warriors, his agent Dan Poneman of <a href="https://twitter.com/beyond_am?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@beyond_am</a> told <a href="https://twitter.com/TheAthletic?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@TheAthletic</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/Stadium?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Stadium</a>. McClung averaged 13.4 points and 4.8 assists in summer league for the Warriors.
&mdash; Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) <a href="https://twitter.com/ShamsCharania/status/1549896252132827136?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 20, 2022</a></blockquote>

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<a href="https://twitter.com/ShamsCharania/status/1549896987616632833" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Charania added</a> that McClung is getting a standard, non-guaranteed deal and he will have an opportunity&nbsp;to make the Warriors&rsquo; roster out of training camp.
ANALYSIS: After losing some key players in Gary Payton II and Otto Porter, Jr. this offseason, the Warriors are looking for discounts to fill out their roster <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/jamychal-green-to-be-bought-out-by-thunder-join-warriors" target="_blank" rel="noopener">including JaMychel Green</a>. McClung has shown over the past two years that he can be on an NBA roster and now he'll get a big opportunity to be a part of the Warriors as they look to defend their champions.
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Mac McClung has agreed on a one-year deal with the Golden State Warriors.

Mac McClung, Warriors agree to one-year deal

Even with the sporadic nature of his minutes and his role, Jonathan Kuminga&rsquo;s rookie year with the Golden State Warriors couldn't have gone much better.
At just 19 years old, he&rsquo;s already a champion, and there were many moments throughout the regular season and playoffs when he strutted his stuff. His top-tier athleticism drew the eyes of many, whether it was via a bursty, sky-high slam, a leaping rebound, a sneaky steal or a block out of nowhere. On top of that, with a 6-foot-8, 210-pound frame, he already had the NBA body to match.
But with Steph Curry, Klay Thompson, Andrew Wiggins, Draymond Green and Jordan Poole dominating the ball for good reason, there was little opportunity for the rookie forward to actually run the show. So, with NBA Summer League underway, the Warriors have put that responsibility on Kuminga &mdash; and he hasn&rsquo;t shied away from the challenge.
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Through three games in Las Vegas, Kuminga is averaging 20.3 points, 3.7 rebounds and 2.3 assists per contest on 42.6% shooting from the field. Moreover, he is leading the entire Summer League with a whopping 39.1% usage rate, taking over 18 shots a night in the process, and working on what he does with the ball in his hands.
&ldquo;I&rsquo;m always comfortable handling, coming off the ball is great," Kuminga said on Sunday. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s just something I&rsquo;ve gotta keep working on and just expand my game more.&rdquo;
Believe it or not, Kuminga didn&rsquo;t get off to the best of starts.
In Golden State&rsquo;s Vegas summer opener against the New York Knicks, he went 2-for-10 from the field for only 4 points and coughed the ball up 5 times. His decisions weren&rsquo;t the greatest, electing to drive into multiple bodies and appearing a little out of control.&nbsp;
The sophomore&rsquo;s second game, on the other hand, was a different story. From the tip, Kuminga played at his own pace, and it led to a thunderous connection with the debuting James Wiseman on a high handoff for the Warriors&rsquo; first bucket of the ballgame.&nbsp;
"It was nice,&rdquo; Wiseman said of the alley-oop. &ldquo;We got like a great tandem, but I'm still just trying to figure out how he plays, the screens that he wants, so I can dribble to the basket and we can just figure it out. But yeah, it's all coming together."
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
Another look at that Kuminga-to-Wiseman alley-oop 😲 <a href="https://t.co/mItG9Y7cJN">pic.twitter.com/mItG9Y7cJN</a>
&mdash; Warriors on NBCS (@NBCSWarriors) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBCSWarriors/status/1546285115088797706?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 11, 2022</a></blockquote>

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Despite his threes being off the mark, Kuminga continued to take better shots, most of which came via self-creation with a smooth stepback. He&rsquo;s still a locomotive with momentum going toward the rim too, and that threat allowed him to pour in points with a short middy. However, Kuminga imposed his will and got to the line a whopping 18 times.&nbsp;
He ended up with 28 points, 7 rebounds and 4 assists on the night, converting on the game-winning free throw vs. the San Antonio Spurs.
&ldquo;I know what I&rsquo;m capable of doing. I&rsquo;ve just gotta execute and just help the team win... The big difference was just to come out here and prove to certain people that I&rsquo;m still a (good) player,&rdquo; said Kuminga, who said he went right back to work after his down performance against New York.&nbsp;
&ldquo;Even if I had the worst game I ever had in my life, I mean I didn&rsquo;t really worry about that game. All I worry about is just coming here, helping my teammates win these games and helping my coaches to win these games, and I think that was my motivation.&rdquo;
Warriors summer head coach Jama Mahlalela felt Kuminga was trying to do too much in the first game, and in response, told him to slow the game down and let it come to him.
&ldquo;He was probably less aggressive early, but ended up with way more shots and way better shot selection and presence on the court,&rdquo; Mahlalela said. &ldquo;And I think as a player, he realized the more he can move the ball early, the better it will come back and have it near the end. So we&rsquo;re really proud of him. His pick-and-roll stuff with Mac [McClung] was really good. That kinda invert pick-and-roll, small stuff was really awesome. So good for him.&rdquo;
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Kuminga built on that with a 29-point effort on 11-for-22 from the field, making it back-to-back games with 22 shot attempts. Better yet, he only turned the ball over once against the Boston Celtics after recording 10 total miscues the previous two games. In addition, Kuminga hit 5-of-8 freebies after a 7-for-22 combined showing prior.
There are definitely things to work on. His perimeter jumper is inconsistent right now, as are his dribbling and overaggressive closeouts. And while he clearly wants to make the right play, his execution still has a ways to go.
Having said that, this is an opportunity to go outside of the proverbial box and try something new, and Kuminga is not taking it for granted. He&rsquo;s found a weapon in that 10-to-12-foot pull-up attacking from the perimeter, has easily created space for himself, has made some solid reads and has driven with the intent to destroy anybody in his path. If you don&rsquo;t believe that, look at the two missed dunks he&rsquo;s had &mdash; <a href="https://youtu.be/olQ_f3E8OE8" target="_blank" rel="noopener">wow</a>.
With the Warriors losing multiple key rotational pieces to free agency, guys like Moses Moody and Kuminga must step in and play their respective parts for the defending champions.
It&rsquo;s a moment Kuminga has been preparing for since he started this pro journey in Walnut Creek, California with the G League Ignite.
&ldquo;I mean, I feel good, especially [coming from] the Ignite. I feel like they helped me a lot. I learned the game faster,&rdquo; Kuminga said. &ldquo;Having vets like Jarrett Jack and Amir Johnson, just being around those types of dudes is just the same as being around Draymond, Steph and Klay. I&rsquo;m learning the game faster. I&rsquo;m not gonna learn everything at the same time, but as long as I&rsquo;m still around those guys, they just help me.&rdquo;
That&rsquo;s not a bad group of guys to get advice from, and it&rsquo;d be surprising if the Golden State trio&rsquo;s wisdom didn&rsquo;t pay off &mdash; for both the team and Kuminga.

Through three games in Las Vegas, Jonathan Kuminga is averaging 20.3 points, 3.7 rebounds and 2.3 assists per contest.

Jonathan Kuminga knows his capabilities, wants to help Warriors win

Leave it to the NBA to add some drama to a setting where wins and losses don't matter.
Cam Thomas, one of my studs for Sunday's roundup, left some very interesting comments after he scored 26 points against the Philadelphia 76ers.&nbsp;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
Reporter: "I was talking to your coach Steve Nash &amp; he's encouraging you to look for your shot &amp; your teammates" Cam Thomas rolls eyes "It is what it is" Seems even sophomore Cam Thomas is tired of Steve Nash "coaching"<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NetsWorld?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NetsWorld</a> <a href="https://t.co/CDfNxHVUzS">pic.twitter.com/CDfNxHVUzS</a>
&mdash; Jeri Tsai (@JeriTsaiNets) <a href="https://twitter.com/JeriTsaiNets/status/1546247206868590592?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 10, 2022</a></blockquote>

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And in the final game of the evening, we even got a fan fistfight! What a bizarre environment.
I saw one dud performer from Saturday bounce back with a phenomenal game on Sunday. Several 2021 draftees, and one undrafted 2021 classmate, also showed out in Las Vegas. Here's who stood out to me from another frenetic day of young hoopers.
STUDS
Keegan Murray, Sacramento Kings
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No. 4 overall pick Keegan Murray was HOOPING today for the <a href="https://twitter.com/SacramentoKings?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SacramentoKings</a> 👑 He dropped 23 PTS and 3 AST <a href="https://t.co/EkqkTkIbFy">pic.twitter.com/EkqkTkIbFy</a>
&mdash; NBA (@NBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBA/status/1546251129721393152?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 10, 2022</a></blockquote>

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Box score stats: 23 points, 3 rebounds, 3 assists, 7/16 FG, 4/12 3PT
The fourth overall pick has already flexed his long-range muscles, so his lukewarm day from deep struck me less than the rest of his offensive impact. Murray went 3-for-4 inside the arc. His makes came via a mid-range floater, a slipped screen he took all the way to the rim and a backdoor cut he used to finish strong through contact.
Though he only had 3 assists, Murray's passing also caught my eye. His first assist resulted from attacking a closeout, recognizing the help defense and kicking back out to an open Frankie Ferrari. Murray caught another transition pass in the first quarter that was too late for a layup, so he swung it along the baseline with his right hand to Keon Ellis, who drained the corner three. It feels like most of Summer League offense is coming easy to Murray so far when he isn't facing too much physicality.
Cam Thomas, Brooklyn Nets
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I don't even think this is a foul, but Cam Thomas does such a fantastic job of making it a tough decision for the refs. And when he does take contact, he is strong enough to get most shots up on the rim and convert many into makes. <a href="https://t.co/UHyCb5VZ40">pic.twitter.com/UHyCb5VZ40</a>
&mdash; Aram Cannuscio (@AC__Hoops) <a href="https://twitter.com/AC__Hoops/status/1546235440189030402?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 10, 2022</a></blockquote>

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Box score stats: 26 points, 3 rebounds, 7 assists, 2 steals, 5/17 FG, 1/3 3PT, 15/15 FT
Thomas played a great game on Sunday, even if his low field goal percentage and aforementioned <a href="https://twitter.com/JeriTsaiNets/status/1546247206868590592?s=20&amp;t=hxCrypsk46rMrH7y1P_GHQ" target="_blank" rel="noopener">eyebrow-raising postgame comments</a> distracted viewers. Of his 7 assists, 5 came in transition, where Thomas successfully reeled in defenders before making the right play with the ball.&nbsp;
Love or hate it, many of today's great scorers possess a knack for getting to the free-throw line. Thomas drew a whopping 11 fouls and knocked down all of his free throws. When he feels contact, the second-year guard gets in the air quickly (like above), and with some body control and a bit of gamesmanship, can make life difficult for refs and defenses.
Quentin Grimes, New York Knicks
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Quentin Grimes: hooper. His statline today: 24 PTS, 4 REB, 4 AST 🔥 <a href="https://t.co/6Qj7Km6bJj">pic.twitter.com/6Qj7Km6bJj</a>
&mdash; NBA (@NBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBA/status/1546278275076526081?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 10, 2022</a></blockquote>

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Box score stats: 24 points, 4 assists, 4 rebounds, 7/14 FG, 4/9 3PT
The "too good for Summer League" label gets thrown around a bit too much for my liking, and I don't know if any one player has shown that kind of dominance this summer. Grimes is certainly the closest to the moniker so far.
Grimes is just so confident as a shot-maker. His touch was back on Sunday, and he was unfazed on deep triples, even through contests. The 6-foot-5 wing also had two strong takes to the basket. His 4 assists included a sweet behind-the-back dump-off that even caught recipient Jericho Sims off-guard. Grimes and Sims later connected on another pick-and-roll finish; they have very apparent chemistry through the first handful of games in Vegas.
Mac McClung, Golden State Warriors
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OKAY, MAC! 👀 Mac McClung is HOOPING right now on NBA TV <a href="https://t.co/bakO1R1VmB">pic.twitter.com/bakO1R1VmB</a>
&mdash; NBA (@NBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBA/status/1546283969234325505?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 11, 2022</a></blockquote>

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Box score stats: 22 points, 6 rebounds, 6 assists, 3 steals, 9/15 FG
Jonathan Kuminga deserves fair praise for his game-high 28 points, but I want to highlight McClung because he floored me with his aggression on both ends. The undrafted guard was locked in as a defender off the ball and picked up 2 steals by reading the ball-handler and positioning himself in passing lanes. On offense, he constantly tried to play fast, and used his handle and shiftiness to change speeds and get to the basket.&nbsp;
McClung played just two NBA games last season and mostly spent time with the South Bay Lakers. He's had a phenomenal Summer League to date though, and has played his way to at least a two-way contract with a franchise, in my opinion.
Peyton Watson, Denver Nuggets
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Peyton Watson put up 19 PTS and 7 REB to lead the <a href="https://twitter.com/nuggets?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@nuggets</a> to a W tonight ⛏️ <a href="https://t.co/bOnz7fkFMC">pic.twitter.com/bOnz7fkFMC</a>
&mdash; NBA (@NBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBA/status/1546311564575313920?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 11, 2022</a></blockquote>

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Box score stats: 19 points, 7 rebounds, 2 steals, 8/12 FG, 1/4 3PT
Watson was loud and authoritative in his breakout Summer League game. The No. 30 pick threw down some putback slams and finished off cuts in Denver's win over the Cavaliers.
Watson also notched an unassisted driving layup, and his lone assist was a nice pick-and-roll feed to rookie teammate Ismael Kamagate. Denver has given Watson some decent burn on the ball, offering brief glimpses into his potential as a playmaking, 6-foot-9 forward.
Santi Aldama, Grizzlies
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Santi Aldama starred on both sides of the ball tonight in the <a href="https://twitter.com/memgrizz?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@memgrizz</a> win. 22 PTS, 8 REB, 6 STL, 2 BLK 🔥 <a href="https://t.co/2jxOCRaKLm">pic.twitter.com/2jxOCRaKLm</a>
&mdash; NBA (@NBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBA/status/1546336632332238848?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 11, 2022</a></blockquote>

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Box score stats: 22 points, 8 rebounds, 6 steals, 2 blocks, 11/22 FG, 0/4 3PT
This is the Santi Aldama experience. After a listless performance on Saturday, the second-year forward put together perhaps the game of the day against the Timberwolves. He switched well on defense, picked off some transition passes and, on one play, skied over from the paint to the weak-side corner for a huge block.&nbsp;
Memphis fed the former Loyola Maryland Greyhound against a smaller Minnesota frontcourt. Aldama feasted in the post, on timely cuts and on some short roll plays. He's definitely best utilized as a cutter as his three-point shot remains a work in progress, but it's a joy to see Aldama active and moving all over the court.
Other deserving shoutouts: Neemias Queta (Kings), Terry Taylor (Pacers), Blake Wesley (Spurs), Jonathan Kuminga (Warriors), Collin Gillespie (Nuggets), Ty-Shon Alexander (Hornets), LJ Figueroa (Hornets), Cole Swider (Lakers), Cassius Winston (76ers), Day'Ron Sharpe (Nets)
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DUDS
Marko Simonovic, Chicago Bulls
Box score stats: 1 point, 7 rebounds, 2 assists, 0/5 FG, 7 fouls
This was a rough crash back to Earth for Simonovic after his impressive showing on Friday. The center was simply not an impactful defender, often slow to help and recover and a non-threat to block shots. His trio of three-point misses were ugly, and his only attempt at the rim was a missed second-chance tip. The Bulls need some help at center behind Nikola Vucevic, but this game is not helping Simonovic make his case for minutes.
Louis King, Phoenix Suns
Box score stats: 10 points, 3 rebounds, 2/11 FG, 0/5 3PT
King won last year's Summer League Championship Game MVP with Sacramento, but that did not translate to playing time in the regular season. He's still a pure scorer at this stage, so when the shot does not fall as it did not on Sunday, King's offensive impact plummets. He committed 3 turnovers as a result of predetermining some passes and only tallied a single assist. Kings has played for two NBA teams since going undrafted in 2019, so hopefully he turns this around and lands a third opportunity.
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Jake LaRavia, Memphis Grizzlies
Box score stats: 2 points, 2 rebounds, 1/5 FG, 0/4 3PT
Several Grizzlies players were off the mark on Sunday. LaRavia just did not have his touch from long range, and some of the misses were surprisingly well off the mark. He also displayed some instances of hesitancy attacking closeouts. LaRavia's lone bucket was a great vertical cut rewarded with a pass and a layup. Hopefully Memphis finds more ways to get him involved and build some confidence.
Mark Williams, Charlotte Hornets
Box score stats: 3 points, 7 rebounds, 1/5 FG
Is it mildly concerning that Williams has made just 3 of his 13 shots in Summer League so far? Williams struggled to work in the post on Shareef O'Neal, and couldn't convert one layup on an out-of-bounds play despite receiving a quality chance. The No. 15 pick did only play 17:41 against the Lakers and has come off the bench in both of his contests. Again, it's just Summer League, but I'd like to see Williams assert himself more as a play-finisher going forward.

Cam Thomas, Quentin Grimes and Santi Aldama put the 2021 draft class in the spotlight on Sunday.

10 studs and duds from Day 4 of NBA Summer League in Las Vegas

LAS VEGAS (AP) &mdash; James Wiseman returned and Jonathan Kuminga had a big night, but the San Antonio Spurs beat the Golden State Warriors 85-84 on Sunday night at the Las Vegas Summer League behind 23 points from Blake Wesley.
Recovering from April 2021 surgery to repair torn cartilage in his right knee, Wiseman didn&rsquo;t play in the NBA this season and appeared in just three G League games in March before being shut down. The 21-year-old Wiseman, a 7-foot center taken with the No. 2 pick in the 2020 draft, had 11 points on 5-of-7 shooting with two blocks in 19 minutes.
Darius Day had 17 points and 13 rebounds, Josh Carlton had 10 points and 11 rebounds &mdash; seven offensive &mdash; and Josh Primo had 10 points or San Antonio. Primo, taken 12th by the Spurs in the 2021 draft, shot just 2 of 15 from the field and 1 of 5 from 3-point range.
Kuminga had 28 points on 10-of-22 shooting with seven rebounds and four assists but made just 1 of 7 from 3-point range and shot 7 of 18 at the free throw line. Mac McClung added 22 points, six rebounds, six assists and three steals.
Moses Moody, who scored 34 points in a loss to the New York Knicks on Friday, did not play for Golden State (0-2).
KINGS 103, PACERS 96
Keegan Murray, picked No. 4 overall by Sacramento in June&rsquo;s draft, scored 23 points and hit four of the Kings&rsquo; 18 3-pointers in their win over Indiana.
Sacramento (1-1) took Murray over Purdue&rsquo;s Jaden Ivey and the 6-foot-8, 225-pound forward out of Iowa is averaging 21.5 points and hitting 40% of his 10 attempts per game from 3-point range in Las Vegas. The 21-year-old Murray averaged 19.7 points, 8.0 rebounds and 1.3 steals while shooting 51.1% from the field and 43.8% from 3-point range in three games at the California Summer League earlier this month.
Terry Taylor had 16 points on 5-of-8 shooting and grabbed seven rebounds. Bennedict Mathurin, the No. 6 pick in last month&rsquo;s draft, had 15 points but made just 6 of 16 from the field for Indiana (1-1).
Sean McDermott hit three 3s and finished with 18 points on 7-of-9 shooting and Frankie Ferrari scored 16 and made 4 of 6 from behind the arc for the Kings.
NETS 91, 76ERS 84
Cam Thomas made 15-of-15 free throws and finished with 26 points and seven assists, David Duke Jr. scored 21 points and Day&rsquo;Ron Sharpe had a double-double to help Brooklyn beat Philadelphia.
Sharpe had 13 points &mdash; including&nbsp;<a class="" href="https://twitter.com/BrooklynNets/status/1546239575709732864" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">dunk</a>&nbsp;while being fouled to open the fourth quarter &mdash; with 11 rebounds, four assists, three steals and two blocks. Kessler Edwards added 10 points for the Nets (1-1).
There were 15 ties and 17 lead changes, the last of which came when Sharpe made a reverse layup with 6:23 to play.
Brooklyn made 28 of 32 (87.5%) from the free-throw line, including 6 of 6 in closing seconds. Duke finished 9 of 10 from the foul line.
Cassius Winston led the 76ers (0-2) with 16 points on 7-of-11 shooting and added five rebounds, seven assists and two steals. Charlie Brown Jr. scored 15 points and Charles Bassey had 11 points and nine rebounds.
KNICKS 101, BULLS 69
Quentin Grimes hit four 3-pointers and finished with 23 points, Jericho Sims scored 11 points on 5-of-6 shooting and grabbed 10 rebounds and New York never trailed against Chicago.
Sims, who played 41 games for the Knicks (2-0) on a two-way contract as a rookie last season, had his second consecutive double-double. The 6-foot-9 center out of Texas signed a three-year contract worth about $6 million.
New York opened the game with a 13-0 run, led by 16 points at the end of the first quarter and scored 32 in the second to make it 59-24 at halftime. The Knicks finished with 42 points in the paint, scored 35 points off 21 Chicago turnovers, and led by as many as 39 points.
Miles McBride added 14 points, six assists and three steals, and DaQuan Jeffries scored 13 points for New York.
Dalen Terry &mdash; picked No. 18 overall in June&rsquo;s draft &mdash; and Carlik Jones scored 13 points apiece for Chicago (1-1). Terry made 3 of 7 from the field, 1 of 6 from 3-point range and committed seven turnovers. Henri Dell added 11 points and three steals.
WIZARDS 97, SUNS 72
Vernon Carey Jr. had 15 points and 11 rebounds, Jaime Echenique scored 12 points and Washington led by double figures for nearly 30 minutes in its win over Phoenix.
Isaiah Todd hit a 3-pointer that gave the Wizards (1-1) a 23-13 lead with 9:31 left in the second quarter and the Suns trailed by at least 10 the rest of the way. Davion Mintz made a step-back 3 to give Washington its biggest lead at 89-56 with 3:55 to play.
Johnny Davis, the No. 10 pick in last month&rsquo;s draft, and Tyler Hall scored 11 points apiece. Davis, a 6-foot-5 guard out of Wisconsin, went 1 for 9 from the field and finished with six points, five rebounds and two assists in Washington&rsquo;s 105-99 loss to Detroit on Friday.
Tyson Carter led the Suns (1-1) with 12 points. Ish Wainright added 11 points and Louis King scored 10.
NUGGETS 84, CAVALIERS 76
Peyton Watson scored 19 points on 7-of-12 shooting and grabbed seven rebounds, and Collin Gillespie added 17 points, seven rebounds and six assists as Denver beat Cleveland.
Christian Braun had 10 points, five assists and three steals, Ismael Kamagate also scored 10 points to go with nine rebounds and Jack White had eight points, 15 rebounds and three blocks for Denver (1-1).
RJ Nembhard Jr. led the Cavaliers (1-1) with 19 points, Cam Young scored 16 and Amar Sylla 11. Ochai Agbaji, who Cleveland picked No. 14 overall in June&rsquo;s draft, had eight points on 3-of-11 shooting with six rebounds, three assists and a steal.
Cleveland Browns All-Pro defensive end Myles Garrett warmed up with the Cavaliers before the game,&nbsp;<a class="" href="https://twitter.com/NBA/status/1546273107631128579?s=20&amp;t=f2i3RbuemsDwOW2Pjb155Q" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">dunking in the layup line while wearing a No. 95 jersey</a>.

James Wiseman returned and Jonathan Kuminga had a big night, but the Spurs beat the Warriors 85-84 on Sunday night.