The NBA keeps on fill out programs for All-Star Weekend, with Tuesday seeing the arrival of the 2019 Rising Stars Challenge.
Dallas Mavericks rookie Luka Doncic drives the path for the World squad, and Atlanta Hawks guard Trae Young carries the torch for Team USA.
Doncic has turned into the NBA’s breakout star of the 2018-19 season. The authoritative Euroleague MVP had the second-most fan votes among Western Conference players (4,242,980 votes) for the All-Star Game, trailing just LeBron James of the Los Angeles Lakers (4,620,809 votes).
It’s fitting Doncic and Young would be two of the included players in the NBA’s yearly exhibit amusement for its young stars. The two were exchanged for one another amid the 2018 draft and are driving their individual groups as rookies.
For the second straight year, Lakers monitor Lonzo Ball might be compelled to miss the Rising Stars Challenge. He’s relied upon to miss four to six weeks with a sprained ankle suffered on Jan. 19 against the Houston Rockets. The early end of that timetable would have him back amid NBA’s All-Star Weekend from Feb. 15-17.
Sacramento Kings guard Bogdan Bogdanovic is back in the amusement in the wake of being named MVP when he scored 26 points in the World’s 155-124 victory a year ago. He can turn into the first player to win the award twice in the 25-year history of the Rising Stars Challenge.
Other returning stars incorporate Ben Simmons of the Philadelphia 76ers, De’Aaron Fox of the Kings, Lauri Markkanen of the Chicago Bulls and Jayson Tatum of the Boston Celtics.
The 2019 Rising Stars Challenge will happen on Feb. 15 at the Spectrum Center in Charlotte, North Carolina.
