On Tuesday, the NBA unveiled a new format for the annual Rising Stars game set to take place on Feb. 18 as part of All-Star Weekend in Cleveland, Ohio.
The showcase game will feature four seven-player teams competing in a mini-tournament consisting of three games. Each game will be played to a final target score, meaning that a game will end with a made basket or a made free throw instead of a running clock.
The pool of 28 players for the game will consist of 12 first-year players, 12 second-year players and four players from the NBA G League Ignite. The rookies and sophomores will be selected by assistant coaches and the Ignite players will be chosen by G League head coaches.
The teams will be coached by members of the NBA’s 75th-anniversary team. The coaches will select their rosters in a Rising Stars draft with each team consisting of seven players, including one from the Ignite.
The NBA announced today a new format for the Rising Stars Game, which will be played on Friday, Feb. 18, in Cleveland as part of NBA All-Star 2022. pic.twitter.com/08Pzharhhl
— Cody Taylor (@CodyTaylorNBA) January 25, 2022
The semifinal games will be played to a final target score of 50 with the final game being played to 25, for a total of 75 points across the semifinal and final to celebrate the league’s 75th anniversary season. The details of the coaches and draft will be announced at a later date.
In addition, a timed shooting competition will take place during the evening. A total of eight NBA and Ignite players will be divided into four teams of two and compete to make shots from five locations on the court tied to iconic shots made in the playoffs.
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The Rising Stars game was canceled last year after the NBA opted to hold each All-Star Weekend event all on March 7 due to the coronavirus pandemic. The league still announced rosters for the event to recognize those players deserving of the honor.
TNT will televise the Rising Stars game beginning at 9 p.m. EST.
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