Second-year center Alperen Sengun, rookie forwards Jabari Smith Jr. and Tari Eason, and third-year forward KJ Martin will represent the Houston Rockets in three events at the NBA’s 2023 All-Star weekend. Second-year guard Jalen Green was scheduled to, but he no longer will due to the left groin strain that he suffered on Wednesday.
Sengun, Eason, and Smith will play in Friday’s Rising Stars event, while Smith will also participate in Saturday’s Skills Challenge. Martin is one of four NBA players taking part in Saturday’s flagship event — the annual dunk contest to conclude the evening.
With the NBA’s worst record, the young and rebuilding Rockets (13-45) understandably won’t have any representatives in Sunday’s actual All-Star Game. But their widespread representation in many of the other events designed to spotlight the league’s young talent should provide hope that better days are ahead for the franchise.
Here’s a look at specific details for each All-Star event.