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| Friday, jan. 26, 2007 For Immediate Release Media Relations Contacts: MEDIA
ADVISORY |
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NEW YORK, Jan. 26, 2007 – For only the sixth time in the history of NBA All-Star Saturday Night presented by EA SPORTS™, all of the reigning champions will defend their crowns. Next month, Dwyane Wade of the Miami Heat (PlayStation® Skills Challenge), Nate Robinson of the New York Knicks (Sprite Slam Dunk), Dirk Nowitzki of the Dallas Mavericks (Foot Locker Three-Point Shootout) and Team San Antonio (Haier Shooting Stars) will each look to repeat in Las Vegas. NBA All-Star Saturday Night presented by EA SPORTS will take place at the Thomas & Mack Center on Feb. 17, with TNT and ESPN Radio beginning their national coverage at 8 p.m. EST. Participants in the PlayStation Skills Challenge will be announced on Monday, Jan. 29. Sprite Slam Dunk contest competitors will be announced on Monday, Feb. 5. Haier Shooting Stars participants will be revealed on Wednesday, Feb. 7, and Foot Locker Three-Point Shootout participants will be announced on Thursday, Feb. 8. Golden State’s Jason Richardson was the last player to win back-to-back Sprite Slam Dunk titles capturing the 2002 and 2003 contests. The only other repeat Slam Dunk champion was Chicago’s Michael Jordan, who won the 1987 competition and successfully defended his title the following year by defeating Atlanta’s Dominique Wilkins by just two points (147-145). Last year in Houston, Robinson outlasted Philadelphia's Andre Iguodala in a dunk-off, 47-46, to become the Sprite Slam Dunk champion. The 5-9 Robinson’s only 50-point dunk came on a bounce pass from Spud Webb, the 1986 Slam Dunk champion and the only other sub-6-foot winner in contest history. Iguodala had a 50-point slam in each round. Memphis rookie Hakim Warrick and 2005 champion Josh Smith of Atlanta were eliminated in the first round with two-dunk totals of 86 and 81 points, respectively. Boston’s Larry Bird won the first three Foot Locker Three-Point Shootouts (1986-1988). Chicago’s Craig Hodges won three straight contests from 1990-92. Cleveland’s Mark Price (1993-94) and Sacramento’s Peja Stojakovic (2002-03) also won back-to-back titles. In the 2006 Foot Locker Three-Point Shootout, Nowitzki defeated Washington’s Gilbert Arenas and Seattle’s Ray Allen for the win. Nowitzki finished with 18 points in the final round, while Arenas tallied 16 and Allen collected 15. Defending champion Quentin Richardson of the New York Knicks failed to make it out of the first round. He and Detroit’s Chauncey Billups both netted 12 points. Nowitzki’s Dallas teammate Jason Terry finished with 13 first-round points. Wade defeated Cleveland’s LeBron James in the final round of the 2006 PlayStation Skills Challenge by completing the obstacle course in 26.1 seconds, besting James’ 33.7-second time. New Orleans/Oklahoma City rookie Chris Paul and 2005 champion Steve Nash of Phoenix were eliminated in the first round with times of 42.6 and 52.8 seconds, respectively. Wade had the top first-round time with 39 seconds flat while James finished the course in 40.5 seconds to reach the finals. Team San Antonio, consisting of the Spurs’ Tony Parker, former Spur Steve Kerr and the Silver Stars’ Kendra Wecker, won the 2006 Haier Shooting Stars competition, defeating Team Los Angeles (the Lakers’ Kobe Bryant, former Laker Magic Johnson and the Sparks’ Lisa Leslie) with a record time of 25.1 seconds. Parker sank a half-court shot on his first attempt to seal the win. The 2007 NBA All-Star Game will be played on Sunday, Feb. 18 at 8 p.m. ET. The game will air live on TNT, ESPN Radio and in more than 200 countries and territories worldwide. NBA
All-Star brings together the top NBA players and performers for
a week of competition, community service and world-class entertainment.
Among the many events are the T-Mobile Rookie Challenge &
Youth Jam; Sprite Slam Dunk; Foot Locker Three-Point Shootout;
PlayStation Skills Challenge; Haier Shooting Stars; NBA All-Star
Jam Session presented by adidas, the league’s interactive
event that attracts more than 100,000 fans each year; and the
56th NBA All-Star Game. |
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