On Friday night, 28 players will compete in the NBA’s 2024 Panini Rising Stars challenge. The event takes place at Indianapolis’ Gainbridge Fieldhouse as part of the league’s 2024 All-Star Weekend.
The annual showcase of young talent, featuring a mini-tournament with four teams and three games, airs live at 8 p.m. Central on TNT.
For the Houston Rockets, Jabari Smith Jr. is the lone representative. Fellow second-year forward Tari Eason likely would have joined Smith, but he’s been out due to a leg injury for more than a month and has missed more than half of Houston’s 2023-24 season to date.
Smith, 20, is averaging 13.2 points (45.9% FG, 35.9% on 3-pointers) and 8.4 rebounds in 31.6 minutes per game this season. The 6-foot-11 forward was drafted third overall in 2022.
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Rookies Amen Thompson and Cam Whitmore have played increasingly well in recent weeks, but the Rising Stars vote took place at an earlier point in the season. Their recent improvements didn’t come in time to be sufficiently factored in by voters.
Here’s a look at the key details entering Friday night: