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The AP reports: Oklahoma City’s Kevin Durant scored a Rookie Challenge-record 46 points to lead the NBA’s sophomores to a 122-116 victory over the rookies on Friday night. Durant shattered the record of 36 set by Phoenix’s Amare Stoudemire as a sophomore in 2004. Durant helped hold off a late charge by the rookies with a three-point play, an emphatic dunk and two free throws in the final minutes.
The Sophomore team shot 60.0%, the rookies 51.3%. The rookies nailed 11-of-23 three-pointers, the sophomores 7-of-17. Rebounds, assists, steals, blocks and turnovers were fairly close.
For the sophs, aside from Durant's 46 points (17-of-25), 7 rebounds and 4 assists, Thaddeus Young (6-of-7) had 13 points, Jeff Green (5-of-10 had 13, Rodney Stuckey (5-of-6) had 12 points, 9 assists and 3 steals, Al Horford and Al Thornton each scored 10.
For the rookies, Michael Beasley (11-of-22) had 29 points. Eric Gordon (6-of-8) had 19 points and 6 rebounds. Marc Gasol (4-of-5, 7-of-8 free throws) had 15 points and 8 rebounds. Rudy Fernandez (4-of-10, 4-of-8 three-pointers) had 14. OJ Mayo (just 5-of-12) and Russell Westbrook (just 4-of-10) each scored 12.
The Indianapolis Star reports: Eric Gordon was the second-leading scorer for the rookies Friday in their 122-116 loss to the sophomores in the Rookie Challenge at NBA All-Star weekend. The 2007 North Central High School graduate scored 19 points in the showcase event at U.S. Airways Center, behind only the 29 of Michael Beasley among rookies.
The Globe and Mail reports: "Kevin's a great player and I'm just glad to be on the court with him," said Beasley, like Durant a No. 2 overall pick in the draft. "I'm happy to be mentioned in the same breath as him." Decked out in Day-Glo orange high-tops, Durant hit 17 of 25 shots from the floor, 4-of-8 from beyond the arc, and made all eight of his free throws. Durant also tied for the team lead with seven rebounds. Durant helped hold off a late charge by the rookies with a three-point play, an emphatic dunk and two free throws in the final minutes. "I approached it like a regular game," Durant said. "I wanted to go out and have fun. Fortunately my shots were going down."
The Globe and Mail continues: The teams wore jerseys — white for the sophomores, purple for the rookies — designed by 18-year-old Tim Ahmed from East Meadow, N.Y. It was the first time a fan-designed jersey has ever been worn during an NBA game or event; in the past, rookies and sophomores wore their regular team jerseys.
The Chicago Tribune reports: Derrick Rose managed four points and seven assists in just 20 minutes 34 seconds, a nod to his lack of sleep. Beasley scored a team-high 29 points and Gordon added 19 points on 6-for-8 shooting. "It was fun," Rose said. "The crowd got me into it even though I wasn't really producing. Just being a part of it was amazing." ... The rookies clearly are enjoying the overall prowess of their deep class, with many league observers citing Rose and Memphis guard O.J. Mayo as leading candidates for Rookie of the Year.
NBA ROOKIE CHALLENGE PREVIEW
Oklahoma City Thunder forward Kevin Durant, the reigning Rookie of the Year, and Chicago Bulls guard Derrick Rose, the first overall pick in the 2008 NBA Draft, lead a list of 18 players selected for the 2009 NBA Rookie Challenge game to be held on Friday, Feb. 13 in Phoenix during NBA All-Star 2009.
The participants in the NBA basketball Rookie Challenge game were selected by the NBA’s assistant coaches, with each team submitting one ballot. For the first time in the game’s history, two current NBA players, All-Star starters Dwight Howard of the Orlando Magic and Dwyane Wade of the Miami Heat – veterans of the Rookie Challenge basketball game - will serve on the coaching staffs, Howard for the Sophomores and Wade for the Rookies. The head coaches for the Rookie and Sophomore teams will be the lead assistants from the 2009 NBA All-Star Game coaching staffs.
Forward Jeff Green, Durant’s teammate in Oklahoma City, joins him on the Sophomore team, which also includes Atlanta Hawks forward/center Al Horford, Los Angeles Clippers forward Al Thornton, Philadelphia 76ers forward Thaddeus Young, New York Knicks forward Wilson Chandler, Detroit Pistons guard Rodney Stuckey and a pair of teammates from the Houston Rockets – guard Aaron Brooks and forward Luis Scola.
Joining Rose on the Rookie team are two sets of teammates – guard O.J. Mayo and center Marc Gasol from the Memphis Grizzlies and center Greg Oden and guard Rudy Fernandez from the Portland Trail Blazers. Thunder guard Russell Westbrook, Clippers guard Eric Gordon, Heat forward Michael Beasley and New Jersey Nets center Brook Lopez round out the Rookie team.
The NBA All-Star Rookie Challenge game will be televised live nationally on TNT at 9 p.m. ET and also will be broadcast live on ESPN Radio.
In last year’s NBA Rookie Challenge event, Cavaliers guard Daniel Gibson earned Most Valuable Player honors, making 11 three-pointers en route to a game-high 33 points, as the Sophomores cruised to a 136-109 victory. Grizzlies forward Rudy Gay added 22 points and Los Angeles Lakers guard Jordan Farmar tallied 17 points and 11 assists. Durant, then of the Seattle SuperSonics, led the Rookies with 23 points.
The contest began its current format pitting the Rookies against the Sophomores in 2000 and the Sophomores hold a 7-2 advantage over the first-year players. The game will be played in two 20-minute halves. Individual foul totals will be kept, but a player cannot foul out. A team will be in the penalty situation after 10 team fouls or after the second foul in the final two minutes of each half. In the event of a tie game, there will be a two-minute overtime to determine the winner. The clock will stop after each successful field goal in the last minute of each half.
The NBA All-Star Game on Sunday, Feb. 15, will air live on TNT and ESPN Radio beginning at 8 p.m. EST. The game will also be telecast in over 200 countries and territories in more than 40 languages and broadcast on NBA.com.
Below are the NBA Rookie Challenge players.
2008 NBA ROOKIE CHALLENGE TEAM ROSTERS
ROOKIE TEAM ROSTER
Player Team Pos. Ht. Wt. School/Country
Michael Beasley Miami F 6-9 245 Kansas St.
Rudy Fernandez Portland G-F 6-6 185 Spain
Marc Gasol Memphis C 7-1 265 Spain
Eric Gordon L.A. Clippers G 6-3 222 Indiana
Brook Lopez New Jersey C 7-0 260 Stanford
O.J. Mayo Memphis G 6-4 210 USC
Greg Oden Portland C 7-0 285 Ohio State
Derrick Rose Chicago G 6-3 190 Memphis
Russell Westbrook Oklahoma City G 6-3 187 UCLA
Head Coach – TBD
Assistant Coach – Dwyane Wade
SOPHOMORE TEAM ROSTER
Player Team Pos. Ht. Wt. School/Country
Aaron Brooks Houston G 6-0 161 Oregon
Wilson Chandler New York F 6-8 220 DePaul
Kevin Durant Oklahoma City G-F 6-9 215 Texas
Jeff Green Oklahoma City F 6-9 235 Georgetown
Al Horford Atlanta F-C 6-10 245 Florida
Luis Scola Houston F-C 6-9 245 Argentina
Al Thornton L.A. Clippers F 6-8 220 Florida State
Rodney Stuckey Detroit G 6-5 205 Eastern Washington
Thaddeus Young Philadelphia F 6-8 220 Georgia Tech
Head Coach – TBD
Assistant Coach – Dwight Howard
PREVIOUS NBA ROOKIE CHALLENGE GAME RESULTS
1994 - Phenoms 74, Sensations 68
1995 - White 83, Green 79 (OT)
1996 - East 94, West 92
1997 - East 96, West 91
1998 - East 85, West 80
2000 - Rookies 92, Sophomores 81 (OT)
2001 - Sophomores 121, Rookies 113
2002 - Rookies 103, Sophomores 97
2003 - Sophomores 132, Rookies 112
2004 - Sophomores 142, Rookies 118
2005 - Sophomores 133, Rookies 106
2006 - Sophomores 106, Rookies 96
2007 – Sophomores 155, Rookies 114
2008 – Sophomores 136, Rookies 109
LAST YEAR'S NBA ROOKIE CHALLENGE GAME
February 15, 2008
Portland Trail Blazers guard Brandon Roy, the reigning Rookie of the Year, and Seattle SuperSonics guard Kevin Durant, the second overall pick in the 2007 NBA Draft, lead a list of 18 players selected for the 2008 Rookie Challenge & Youth Jam on Friday, Feb. 15 in New Orleans.
Al Horford and his amusing accent did a great job introducing the Rookie team he's playing with, especially when he announced, "Also from the SuperSonics, Jeff Green, aka The Mean Green MACHINEEEEEEEEEE." He actually has an announcers voice, at least when it come to introducing players while sounding like a likeable foreign guy.
Rudy Gay introduced the Sophomore team and lacked the flair Horford had. And Gay actually dissed Jordan Farmar, saying "What's your name again?" to him before saying it. Someday, Farmer, or his kids, or grandkids, will get Rudy back for that.
The Sophomore team is wearing home white uniforms, while the Rookie team is wearing the individual away uniforms of each team's regular team.
Rookie starters: Mike Conley, Kevin Durant, Jeff Green, Luis Scola and Al Horford.
Sophomore starters: Rajon Rondo, Brandon Roy, Rudy Gay, Andrea Bargnani and LaMarcus Aldridge.
The first bucket of the game was a two-handed dunk from Andrea Bargnani, who soared down the middle of the paint for a run-away dunk. And a play later, Rudy Gay caught an alley-oop pass from Rajon Rondo and flushed it.
Kevin Durant, who hits a free throw to give the Rookies their first point, is rocking sweet bright yellow sneakers. I want a pair of those.
Bargnani on the break blrew a fairly open dunk. But he made up for it by showing great range with a deep jumper from the left elbow.
Luis Scola, who just scored, was playing defense all the way out to halfcourt and got called for a foul.
Gay and Durant have scored. Scola played nice defense on a Brandon Roy fadeaway.
And a play later, Roy drove and Scola played what appeared to be great defense on him, but got robbed by the refs.
At 15:33 Durant broke free for a sweet one-handed dunk that Rudy Gay chose not to try to contest.
Durant is dribbling so high I think Manute Bol could swipe it from him.
Al Horford is using his strength and sound, fundamental inside moves to score.
Dunk of the game so far came at the 12:00 mark in the first half, with Durant throwing down a sweet two-handed reverse after a beautiful half-court pass from Juan Carlos Navarro. Followed by an alley-oop from half-court from Rajon Rondo to Brandon Roy. Followed by Andrea Bargnani blocking a Durant attempt, leading to Al Horford dunking in the ball as it floated in the air. It's 24 all.
Jamario Moon and Sean Williams are in.
Daniel Gibson hits a wide open three from the left corner, exciting teammate LeBron James who is watching courtside.
Paul Millsap shows passing ability, hitting a cutting Roy.
Yi Jianlian, annoyed by a previous foul call, catches inside and uses whatever muscle he can pretend to have until a foul is called on the defender.
Rookie Team teammates Jamario Moon and Sean Williams combine for a 39-foot vertical leap.
Moon catches a pass on a break, jumps up and gets nasty with one hand, pounding it like I used to pound it on the young Akeem Olajuwon back in the day.
Play of the game so far came at 7:35 in the first half. Paul Millsap went for a dunk and was bothered by Sean Williams -- I'm not sure if Sean got a piece of it. But he did get the rebound, dribbling between his own legs as he hopped over a fallen player, drove the full length of the floor, threw it underhand with his right hand insanely high off the glass from the free throw line, soared in the air, caught the self-pass and slammed it down hard with the left. Insane.
Jordan Farmer sets Daniel Gibson up nicely for a three.
Sean Williams answers with a layup, but Gibson nails from outside yet again from the left elbow. His fourth three-pointer, making it 40-36 Sophomores.
Daniel Gibson again pulls up for a three-pointer from the same left elbow spot, and nails it.
Sean Williams answers again inside. He has 12.
Farmer swipes it and lobs up for Ronnie Brewer, who flushes it. Farmar always makes the right pass.
At 4:40 Brandon Roy unleashed a huge leap from a foot inside the dotted circle and tried to cram on Sean Williams' head, missing but drawing a foul.
Sean Williams shows passing ability, making a short but good pass to Yi Jianlian inside, who gets fouled.
Gibson was left alone from the left elbow -- brilliant defensive plan by the Rookie team -- but this time misses the three.
Gibson fires a three again, from the top, and nails it. It's his sixth three-pointer. The all-time Rookie Challenge record is seven threes from Kyle Korver.
Another perfect Farmar pass, hitting a cutting LaMarcus Aldridge for a dunk. Horford answers inside.
Farmar, being smart, in case I haven't mentioned that, dribbles right over to Gibson at the left elbow, flips a pass to him and sets a screen that Gibson shoots over, nailing his seventh three.
A few plays later Farmar catches and quickly shoots a three from the right corner, nailing it.
The final play of the first half was Durant catchign an alley-oop.
Halftime score: Sophomores 66, Rookies 52.
In the first half, Gibson had 21 points, Durant 15, Horford 13, Roy 13, Sean Williams 12, and Rudy Gay 11.
The halftime perforamce is from female singer Jordin Sparks who, following the tradition of All-Star weekend, is singing a nice song that does not "feel like basketball" at all, in any way. And random goofy fans who look strange together are swaying and clapping nearby on the court. But despite the song, the mood of basketball will resume soon as the second half begins.
The second half opens with rapid open layups and missed jumpers by both teams.
Mike Conley, who I haven't noticed yet in this game, sneaks inside for a quick layup.
Horford is simply far more physically dominant than anyone guarding him. He has 17 point and 7 rebounds.
The Sophomore team is simply outclassing the Rookie squad in just about every way, aside from Horford's fine play and Durant's bright yellow sneakers.
At 13:25 it's Sophomores 83, Rookies 67. It ain't over yet. We have at least 59 dunks coming.
Jeff Green takes advantage of a wide open left lane and flushes a nasty dunk.
Rajon Rondo, playing defense like current Celtics players are supossed to, steals it.
Durant has a very high, slow dribble on a crossover, and loses it.
Bargnani cuts baseline, Rondo sees and hits him with a perfect pass, leading to an easy bucket.
Luis Scola, looking very old school, posts and spins inside for a layup, using his body to shield the defender.
Durant draws a lucky foul on a wild mid-range shot attempt in traffic.
Yi Jianlian fires an off-balance jumper from the top of the key and hits it.
At 9:36 the Sophomores lead 95-81. It's still a game.
Both teams are playing. Everyone wants to win. We are not witnessing the height of intensity, but no one is slacking on the offensive end. Defense is another story. There's plenty of individual defense but not a lot of help, except inside.
Daniel Gibson, who I think just entered a minute or two ago, squares up for a three-pointer from the left elbow (sound familar?) and nails it, his eighth of the game, which sets a Rookie Challenge record.
Rudy Gay finds himself open for a dunk again, for the 832th time today.
Gibson fires again, this time off-balance and contested, and misses. But LaMarcus Aldridge gets the offensive rebound and flips it back to Gibson, and this time Daniel hits -- you guessed it -- from the left elbow.
Farmar nails a three. Heady. The kid is heady.
A Rookie Team fast break featured Juan Carlos Navarro going up for a streaking layup on the left side of the rim, but Jordan Farmar swooped in and blocked it, though it was called a goaltend.
With 6:03 left and the Sophomore team up 110-87, things have gotten even more loose, if that's even possible. Everyone now knows who is going to win.
Juan Carlos Navarro spots a cutting Sean Williams and hits him. Williams leaps, extending several feet more than human beings should be able to, and dunks it, sort of looking like a taller George Gervin. No, I'm not comparing the two players. They're very different. I just remember seeing some old Gervin dunks and somehow Williams matched the exact angles. Or something. Maybe I'm just crazy.
Navarro is getting hot. A few plays ago he hit a running jumper, then a leaning three-pointer, and now he just soared in the paint for a running floater that looked very international.
Sean Williams unleashes a wild dribbling display, getting past Farmar and then dribbling in-between his own legs bringing the ball from the back to the front before drawing a foul. If he did that in an NBA game, Nets coach Lawrence Frank would yank him immediately (then again, considering the state of the Nets, maybe not) but in this game it's fun and encouraged. In fact, I wish the NBA had more of that -- players just having wild fun and balling, instead of being robots.
Navarro, wide open from the left elbow, hits a three. He's made noise this half. Of course, everyone already knows he's a gunner.
At 3:00 left in the game it's Sophomores up 119-101.
Aother three-pointer from Gibson, this time from the left corner, with defender Jamario Moon right in his face. That's just nasty. Gibson is ripping the net like I (InsideHoops.com editor Jeff Lenchiner) do when playing against NBA players in secret gyms during the off-season.
Gibson hits another three. He has 11 three-pointers. He's all Manute Bol out there.
Farmar swishes from outside. Sophomores now lead 130-103.
Jamario Moon has an open dunk, cocks it own with one hand and slams it. And then has another opportunity for a dunk but instead makes the mistake of feeding Yi Jianlian who, open right under the basket, blows a one-handed dunk, looking silly.
Plenty of back and forth buckets in teh final minute or so. But the game is over; at this point no one is even pretending to defend.
2008 NBA Rookie Challenge game final score: Sophomores 136, Rookies 109.
Daniel Gibson finished 11-of-20 from three-point range. He finishes with 33 points. That's like what I (InsideHoops.com editor Jeff Lenchiner) used to do to an 18-year-old LeBron James in secret gyms during the off-season.
Brandon Roy finished with 17 points and 7 assists.
And, the 2008 NBA Rookie Challenge game MVP is Daniel Gibson.
For the Sophomores: Gibson had 33 points. Rudy Gay (9-of-12) had 22 points. LaMarcus Aldridge (9-of-17) had 18 points, 9 rebounds, 4 assists, 3 steals and 2 blocks. Jordan Farmar (6-of-10) had 17 points, 4 rebounds, 12 assists and 4 steals. Brandon Roy (5-of-10) had 17 points and 7 assists. Ronnie Brewer (6-of-6) had 13 points and 4 assists.
For the Rookies: Kevin Durant (10-of-19) had 23 points, 8 rebounds, 4 assists and 5 turnovers. Al Horford (8-of-10) had 19 points and 7 rebounds. Sean Williams (8-of-11) had 17 points and 10 rebounds. Juan Carlos Navarro (6-of-11) had 14 points and 4 rebounds. Jamario Moon (6-of-8) had 13 points and 3 assists.
Both teams shot around 57% from the field, but the Sophomores hit 17-of-32 three-pointers, the Rookies just 4-of-9. And the Sophomores dished 38 assists, the Rookies 22.
InsideHoops.com is your home for complete All-Star coverage.
The participants in the Rookie Challenge & Youth Jam were selected by the NBA’s assistant coaches, with each team submitting one ballot. The head coaches for the Rookie and Sophomore teams will be the lead assistants from the 2008 NBA All-Star Game coaching staffs.
The Rookie Challenge & Youth Jam will be televised live nationally on TNT and also will be broadcast live on ESPN Radio.
Forward/center LaMarcus Aldridge, Roy’s teammate in Portland, joins him on the Sophomore team, which includes Boston Celtics guard Rajon Rondo, Cleveland Cavaliers guard Daniel Gibson, Los Angeles Lakers guard Jordan Farmar, Memphis Grizzlies forward/guard Rudy Gay, Toronto Raptors forward and the first overall selection in the 2006 NBA Draft Andrea Bargnani, and a pair of Utah Jazz teammates – guard/forward Ronnie Brewer and forward/center Paul Millsap.
The Rookie team features Durant’s Seattle teammate Jeff Green at forward, as well as Atlanta Hawks forward Al Horford, Houston Rockets forward/center Luis Scola, Memphis Grizzlies guards Mike Conley and Juan Carlos Navarro, Milwaukee Bucks forward Yi Jianlian, New Jersey Nets forward/center Sean Williams, and Toronto Raptors forward/guard and former D-Leaguer Jamario Moon, also a participant in the 2008 Sprite Slam Dunk competition.
If any rookie or second-year player is selected to play in the All-Star Game on Sunday, Feb. 17, he also will play in the Rookie Challenge & Youth Jam on Friday evening.
In last year’s Rookie Challenge & Youth Jam, New York Knicks forward David Lee earned Most Valuable Player honors after shooting 14-for-14 from the field and scoring 30 points to lead the sophomores to a 155-114 victory over the Rookies, their fifth straight Rookie Challenge victory. Golden State guard Monta Ellis added 28 points for the Sophomores. Memphis’ Gay and Utah’s Millsap each scored 22 for the Rookies.
The contest began its current format pitting the Rookies against the Sophomores in 2000 and the Sophomores hold a 6-2 advantage over the first year players. The game will be played in two 20-minute halves, with each team allowed one full timeout and one 20-second timeout per half. There will be one mandatory television timeout in each half. Individual foul totals will be kept, but a player cannot foul out. A team will be in the penalty situation after 10 team fouls or after the second foul in the final two minutes of each half. In the event of a tie game, there will be a two-minute overtime to determine the winner. The clock will stop after each successful field goal in the last minute of each half.
The NBA All-Star Game on Sunday, Feb. 17, will air live on TNT and ESPN Radio beginning at 8 p.m. EST.
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 other exciting All-Star events are the Slam Dunk, Three-Point Shootout, Skills Challenge, Shooting Stars and NBA All-Star Jam Session.
2008 NBA ROOKIE CHALLENGE GAME ROSTERS
ROOKIE TEAM ROSTER
Player Team Pos. Ht. Wt. School/Country Mike Conley Memphis G 6-1 180 Ohio State Kevin Durant Seattle G 6-9 215 Texas Jeff Green Seattle F 6-9 235 Georgetown Al Horford Atlanta F-C 6-10 245 Florida Jamario Moon Toronto G-F 6-8 205 Meridian CC (Miss.) Juan Carlos Navarro Memphis G 6-3 170 Spain Luis Scola Houston F-C 6-9 245 Argentina Sean Williams New Jersey F-C 6-10 235 Boston College Yi Jianlian Milwaukee F 7-0 238 China
Head Coach: Darrell Walker (New Orleans Hornets)
Assistant Coach: Bob Pettit (from Louisiana)
SOPHOMORE TEAM ROSTER
Player Team Pos. Ht. Wt. School/Country LaMarcus Aldridge Portland F-C 6-11 245 Texas Andrea Bargnani Toronto F 7-0 250 Italy Ronnie Brewer Utah G-F 6-7 233 Arkansas Jordan Farmar L.A. Lakers G 6-2 180 UCLA Rudy Gay Memphis G 6-9 220 Connecticut Daniel Gibson Cleveland G 6-2 194 Texas Paul Millsap Utah F 6-8 258 Louisiana Tech Rajon Rondo Boston G 6-1 171 Kentucky Brandon Roy Portland G 6-6 229 Washington
Head Coach: Tom Thibodeau (Boston Celtics)
Assistant Coach: Willis Reed (from Louisiana)
NBA ROOKIE CHALLENGE GAME RULES AND INFO
Nine first year players (Rookies) and nine second year players (Sophomores) will be selected to participate.
The head coaches for the Rookie Challenge teams will be chosen from the assistant coaches of the All-Star teams.
Two twenty minute halves will be played.
Each team will have one full timeout per half. However, two mandatory team timeouts for TV will be called each half (under the 10:00 and 5:00 marks). Teams will lose their full timeout if they do not call it before the 10:00 and 5:00 marks (under 10 charged to Rookies, under 5 charged to Sophomores).
There will also be one mandatory TV timeout (charged to officials) at the under 15:00 mark in each half.
Each team will also have one :20 second timeout per half.
Individual fouls will be kept, but a player will not foul out.
The penalty will apply after ten team fouls or after the second foul in the final two minutes of each half.
The clock will stop after each successful field goal in the last minute of each half.
In the event of a tie game at the end of regulation, a 2-minute overtime period will be played.
The Sophomores will be considered the “home” team.
An MVP award will be given out at the conclusion of the game.
PREVIOUS ROOKIE CHALLENGE GAME RESULTS
1994 - Phenoms 74, Sensations 68
1995 - White 83, Green 79 (OT)
1996 - East 94, West 92
1997 - East 96, West 91
1998 - East 85, West 80
2000 - Rookies 92, Sophomores 81 (OT)
2001 - Sophomores 121, Rookies 113
2002 - Rookies 103, Sophomores 97
2003 - Sophomores 132, Rookies 112
2004 - Sophomores 142, Rookies 118
2005 - Sophomores 133, Rookies 106
2006 - Sophomores 106, Rookies 96
2007 – Sophomores 155, Rookies 114
2007 NBA ROOKIE CHALLENGE GAMELIVE ROOKIE CHALLENGE GAME NOTES
This game is always fun. Although some disagree, I personally always love it when it turns into a dunk-fest. I mean, it's not like it's serious basketball. It might as well be fun.
Eddie Gomez, some little kid who sounded just as annoying as all pre-teens sound when they are yelling loud, announced the players. I think he announced Randy Foye as "Ricky," though I couldn't hear clearly. Otherwise, a good announcer, especially for a kid. He messed up in the last sentence, but has a future in broadcasting. Or, at least in yelling the names of players and the teams they play for.
The New Jersey Drumline played for a few seconds prior to the player introductions and kept a beat going.
Before the game, Chris Paul stepped out to centercourt and publically thanked the fans on behalf of both teams. Next to him was Rudy Gay, who informed fans "around the world that we are glad to represent the NBA." Yay!
Starters: Adam Morrison, Andrea Bargnani, Randy Foye, Rudy Gay and Brandon Roy for the rookies, and Danny Granger, David Lee, Deron Williams, Luther Head and Andrew Bogut for the Sophomores.
First basket of the game was David Lee, off a pick and roll. Quite fitting. And the very next play Lee knocks the ball out of Rudy Gay's hand, streaks down the floor, and catches a pass for a two-handed dunk.
Randy Foye scored first for the rookies.
Andrea Bargnani drove into Andrew Bogut, who basically wasn't doing anything other than existing, but a foul on Bogut was called.
David Lee again, coming off a pick, catches a pass from Luther Head for a two-handed dunk. Sophomores up 8-2. Lee has six points and at least one board.
A three from Adam Morrison gives the rookies some life. But Deron Williams and Danny Granger hit for the sophomores, who are now about 8-for-8 shooting and up 16-7.
Bargnani showing a beautiful, smooth outside baseline shot.
Lee with a pick and roll again, catching a pass from Deron Williams for yet another dunk. As a New Yorker I wish Deron and Lee were together on the Knicks.
Granger pulling up for an awkward jumper over Morrison, missing it.
Very lazy defense by both teams.
Another Luther Head three puts the sophs up 26-15.
Almost every outside shot is wide open.
David Lee is dominating, with 5-of-5 shooting for 10 points and a bunch of other stuff. Next play, Deron Williams threw it off the backboard for Lee who caught it and dropped a perfect pass to nearby Danny Granger, who missed up close.
At 12:34 in the first half the sophomores lead 28-17.
At 11:05 Chris Paul lobbed into Lee, who caught and without coming down flipped in a layup.
The Sophs lead 36-20. Neither team is even pretending to play real defense.
Morrison hits a jumper, giving him 9 to lead the rookies.
CP3 lobs it up for Lee again, though it's broken up by a rare defensive moment. I didn't see who did it. I was too shocked.
A sweet Sophomore fast break from CP3 led to a Raymond Felton alleyoop. On the other end Morrison put in a quick weak dunk in return.
Both teams are trading unguarded dunks now, with Jordan Farmar on one end and Danny Granger on the other. Farmar then hits a wide open three from the left corner.
Lee is dominating. With 8-of-9 shooting for 16 points he's the early Rookie Challenge MVP favorite. And no sooner did I say that than he dunked again.
It's no contest. Substitutions keep coming in but the sophs now lead 55-33. I don't understand why the rookies aren't showing at least a little bit of pride and stepping up some defense. At least raise an arm or something.
Honestly, the rookies are going out like punks.
Chris Paul is dishing assists like candy.
The nicest dunk so far was a lob that Monta Ellis caught and threw down from the right side with one hand. I didn't see who threw it.
Monta Ellis keeps catching lobs and throwing down nice stuff. It's now Sophomores 71 Rookies 40.
Halftime: Sophomores 77, Rookies 48. The Soph's 77 points is the most ever scored in a half in this event.
At the half, David Lee has 18 points and 6 rebounds on 9-of-9 shooting. Deron Williams was also terrific.
In the first 90 seconds of the second half Lee scored two more times. He's now 11 for 11. The Sophomores are up 83-54.
CP3 is tossing assists like free money.
The rookies are getting destroyed almost as badly as InsideHoops.com destroys all other basketball websites.
Luther Head penetrates from the right corner, gets to the rim, drops a pass to Lee, who hustles up for an off-balanced layup on the left side that takes a bounce before dropping in. He still hasn't missed. And the very next play Lee grabs an offensive rebound and dunks it in.
The rookies are playing like heartless scrubs out there.
Lee catches a pass and all alone throws down a nice up-and-under dunk, putting the sophs up 99-65.
At 14:17 in the second half CP3 ran a break, dished to Lee under the rim who touched-passed right to Andrew Bynum. But the big Laker center wasn't ready for a pass and the ball bounced off his face out of bounds.
The rookies are basically insulting the fans with their pathetic display. At 11:03 the Sophomores lead 116-77.
There are definitely bunches of free tickets given to groups of kids. Because select groups are all basically screaming like wild the entire game. There's no evidence they're really watching the action or have any clue what's happening. Many aren't actually facing the court. But they're screaming. Nonstop. For literally 15 minutes at a time. Just screaming. Ear-piercing screams. Make them stop. I've seen groups like this at some NBA games, but there are hoards of them at All-Star.
CP3 is dropping dimes like rain. He has around 15 assists.
Finally the rookies come alive, thanks to Rudy Gay. They're now only down by 493823249.
At 7:23 it's 128-89. I'm kind of done paying close attention. I'll post again with a few minutes left, and then post final stats.
Final score: Sophomores 155, Rookies 114.
With 30 points on 14-of-14 shooting and 11 rebounds, David Lee was awarded the Rookie Challenge MVP award. The first Knick ever to win this game's honor.
Final stats coming up.
2007 NBA ROOKIE CHALLENGE PREVIEW
Toronto Raptors forward Andrea Bargnani, the first overall selection in the 2006 NBA Draft, and Milwaukee Bucks forward Andrew Bogut, the first overall pick in the 2005 NBA Draft, lead a list of 18 players selected to play in the 2007 Rookie Challenge & Youth Jam on Friday, Feb. 16 at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas.
The participants in the Rookie Challenge & Youth Jam were selected by the NBA’s assistant coaches, with each team submitting one ballot. The head coaches for the Rookie and Sophomore teams will be the lead assistants from the 2007 NBA All-Star Game coaching staffs.
The Rookie Challenge & Youth Jam will be televised live nationally on TNT and also will be broadcast live on ESPN Radio, while NBA.com will make live audio available to fans in multiple languages.
Joining Bargnani on the Rookie team this year are the Los Angeles Lakers’ Jordan Farmar, the Minnesota Timberwolves’ Randy Foye, the Toronto Raptors’ Jorge Garbajosa, the Memphis Grizzlies’ Rudy Gay, the Utah Jazz’s Paul Millsap, the Charlotte Bobcats’ Adam Morrison, the Portland Trail Blazers’ Brandon Roy and the New Jersey Nets’ Marcus Williams.
Teaming with Bogut on the Sophomore team are the Los Angeles Lakers’ Andrew Bynum, the Golden State Warriors’ Monta Ellis, the Charlotte Bobcats’ Raymond Felton, the Indiana Pacers’ Danny Granger, the Houston Rockets’ Luther Head, the New York Knicks’ David Lee, the New Orleans/Oklahoma City Hornets’ Chris Paul -- the 2005-06 Rookie of the Year -- and the Utah Jazz’s Deron Williams.
If any rookie or second-year player is selected to play in the All-Star Game on Sunday, Feb. 18, he also will play in the Rookie Challenge & Youth Jam on Friday evening.
As title partner of the Rookie Challenge and overall NBA Rookie Program, has teamed up with NBA Cares to create the Rookie Challenge & Youth Jam, a unique opportunity for Las Vegas youth to experience NBA All-Star 2007. During the event, thousands of Huddle Up All-Stars, representing the Clark County School District, Boys & Girls Clubs of Las Vegas and After-School All-Stars programs, will watch the game from the best seats in the house and fill the lower bowl of the Thomas & Mack Center. In order to qualify for the program, middle school students, between the ages of 11-15, from all over the Las Vegas Valley pledged their commitment to leadership, community service, reading, and citizenship.
In last year’s contest, the Philadelphia 76ers’ Andre Iguodala scored a game-high 30 points on 13-of-17 shooting to lead the Sophomores to their fourth straight win over the Rookies, 106-96. He was named Most Valuable Player after scoring 24 of his 30 points in the second half. Chicago’s Ben Gordon added 17 points in the win. The Toronto Raptors’ Charlie Villanueva and the Houston Rockets’ Luther Head led the Rookies with 18 points each.
This is the eighth year of the rookie-sophomore format, with the Sophomores leading the series 5-2. The game will be played in two 20-minute halves, with each team allowed one full timeout and one 20-second timeout per half. There will be one mandatory television timeout in each half. Individual foul totals will be kept, but a player cannot foul out. A team will be in the penalty situation after 10 team fouls or after the second foul in the final two minutes of each half. In the event of a tie game, there will be a two-minute overtime to determine the winner. The Clock will stop after each successful field goal in the last minute of each half.
For the third consecutive year, NBA.com will provide basketball fans with the opportunity to have their vote count toward selecting the MVP of the Rookie Challenge & Youth Jam, as part of the site's exclusive NBA All-Star 2007 coverage.
The NBA All-Star Game on Sunday, Feb. 18, will air live on TNT and ESPN Radio beginning at 8 p.m. EST. The game will also be telecast in over 200 countries and broadcast on NBA.com.
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 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.
Below are the rosters for the 2007 Rookie Challenge & Youth Jam:
ROOKIE TEAM ROSTER
Player Team Pos. Ht. Wt. School/Country
Andrea Bargnani Toronto F 7-0 250 Italy
Jordan Farmar L.A. Lakers G 6-2 180 UCLA
Randy Foye Minnesota G 6-4 213 Villanova
Jorge Garbajosa Toronto C 6-9 245 Spain
Rudy Gay Memphis G 6-9 220 Connecticut
Paul Millsap Utah F 6-8 258 Louisiana Tech
Adam Morrison Charlotte F 6-8 205 Gonzaga
Brandon Roy Portland G 6-6 229 Washington
Marcus Williams New Jersey G 6-3 205 Connecticut
Head Coach – TBD
Assistant Coach – TBD
SOPHOMORE TEAM ROSTER
Player Team Pos. Ht. Wt. School/Country
Andrew Bogut Milwaukee C 7-0 245 Utah
Andrew Bynum L.A. Lakers C 7-0 245 St. Joseph’s HS (NJ)
Monta Ellis Golden State G 6-3 177 Lanier HS (Miss.)
Raymond Felton Charlotte G 6-1 198 North Carolina
Danny Granger Indiana F 6-9 228 New Mexico
Luther Head Houston G 6-3 185 Illinois
David Lee New York F 6-9 249 Florida
Chris Paul New Orl./OKC G 6-0 175 Wake Forest
Deron Williams Utah G 6-3 205 Illinois
Head Coach – TBD
Assistant Coach – TBD
PREVIOUS NBA ROOKIE CHALLENGE WINNERS AND RESULTS
1994 - Phenoms 74, Sensations 68
1995 - White 83, Green 79 (OT)
1996 - East 94, West 92
1997 - East 96, West 91
1998 - East 85, West 80
2000 - Rookies 92, Sophomores 81 (OT)
2001 - Sophomores 121, Rookies 113
2002 - Rookies 103, Sophomores 97
2003 - Sophomores 132, Rookies 112
2004 - Sophomores 142, Rookies 118
2005 - Sophomores 133, Rookies 106
2006 - Sophomores 106, Rookies 96
NBA ROOKIE CHALLENGE GAME RULES
- Nine first year players (Rookies) and nine second year players (Sophomores) will be selected to participate.
- The head coaches for the Rookie Challenge teams will be chosen from the assistant coaches of the All-Star teams.
RULES:
1. Two twenty minute halves.
2. Each team can call one full timeout; however, two mandatory TV timeouts each half (under the 14:00 and 7:00 marks) will be called. Teams will lose their full timeout if they do not call it before the 14:00 (Rookies lose TO) and 7:00 (Sophs lose TO) mark.
3. Each team can call one :20 second timeout per half.
4. Individual fouls will be kept, but a player will not foul out. The penalty will apply after ten team
fouls or after the second foul in the final two minutes of each half.
5. In the event of a tie game at the end of regulation, a 2-minute overtime period will be played.
6. Clock will stop after each successful field goal in the last minute of each half.
7. Twenty minute pre-game warm-up.
8. The Sophomores team will be considered the “home” team.
9. An MVP award will be given out at the conclusion of the game.
2006 NBA ROOKIE CHALLENGE
Milwaukee Bucks forward Andrew Bogut, the first overall selection in the 2005 NBA Draft, and Orlando Magic forward Dwight Howard, the first player chosen in the 2004 NBA Draft, lead a list of 19 players selected to play in the 2006 Rookie Challenge on Friday, Feb. 17 at the Toyota Center in Houston.
But Andre Iguodala stole the show.
The AP reports: Andre Iguodala says he still has some dunks saved for Saturday. The rookies might not believe him. Iguodala broke out his dunking repertoire Friday night and scored 30 points, leading the sophomores over the rookies 106-96 in the Rookie Challenge. The Philadelphia swingman is one of the four players in Saturday night's slam dunk contest, and he had a chance to show his leaping skills Friday. All three of his first-half field goals were dunks, then he helped the sophomores break open the game early in the second half with a few more.
The AP reports: Ben Gordon added 17 points for the sophomores, who led by as much as 23 points.
Rockets guard Luther Head and Toronto's Charlie Villanueva each scored 18 points for the rookies, who were 7-for-26 (27 percent) from 3-point range. Chris Paul, the likely Rookie of the Year, had 11 assists and five steals but scored only eight points.
Ticker reports: Perhaps Iguodala's best dunk didn't count. A perimeter foul was called just as he began takeoff for through-the-legs one-hander that wowed the crowd at the Toyota Center.
"Tonight is different and (Saturday) I have a few things up my sleeve," said Iguodala, who scored 11 points as a rookie in this game last year. "Everything you saw today, you have seen before.
Iguodala then took his act outside, draining three 3-pointers to push the advantage to 91-68 with 7:09 left. He missed a through-the-legs job with his left hand but added a couple more slams.
In all, Iguodala had nine dunks and four 3-pointers as he became the seventh player to reach 30 points in this contest. He was one of just three players in the game without a turnover.
The NBA Rookie Challenge game's box score is here.
Here's what Andre Iguodala had to say after winning the Rookie Game MVP:
Q. It looked like you had a lot of open dunks. Were you at all thinking about tomorrow with some of those tonight?
ANDRE IGUODALA: Oh, not at all. Tomorrow is going to be a fun day. I've got a couple of things under my sleeve. I want to try something new. Everything I did today, you've seen before. I am going to try some new things tomorrow.
Q. Do you have any legs left? You were really getting up there all night.
ANDRE IGUODALA: Yeah, and this is the third night in a row, playing Thursday, now tonight and then again tomorrow. You know, just going to rest up and get some ice. Just going to have fun tomorrow, not put any pressure on myself, just going to go out and have fun.
Q. Does it mean more to you to be the second 76er to get the MVP?
ANDRE IGUODALA: It definitely means something, and Allen, the way he plays and carries himself as a ballplayer. Actually I had no clue I had a chance of getting an MVP award. I was coming in to make sure we won. And having my teammates look out for me, and I had some open shots and made them. Coach kept me on the court, so I have to thank him. We just had fun out there.
Q. In the second half were you trying to get 3-pointers, trying to mix it up on purpose?
ANDRE IGUODALA: We had a lot of breakaways for dunks. You know, we were just getting out on the break and they couldn't get back. We just spread it out a little bit, got some open threes. I think I've been shooting the ball well this year, so as long as I'm confident, I feel like I can make all of the threes I can get.
Q. Tonight your performance was great - is this the biggest honor you've achieved in the league so far?
ANDRE IGUODALA: So far in the NBA, I have to say that, being that so many great players have gotten this award; Carmelo Anthony last year, Amare Stoudemire, Allen Iverson, a lot of great players have gotten this award. Hopefully that trend can continue and just continue to work hard on my game.
Q. Following up to that, those guys you mentioned have gone on to have great early careers. Think you can follow in their footsteps?
ANDRE IGUODALA: Oh, definitely. I think it's just a confidence booster that when I'm playing out there and I'm playing freely, I'm confident. You know, the sky is the limit for me. As long as I continue to work on my game every night and just focus in on basketball.
Q. A lot of this game was filled with players that have kind of flown under the radar this season. Was this a night for some of you guys to kind of get more of the national spotlight than you've had?
ANDRE IGUODALA: I think so. I think that's what a lot of guys look forward to, for the spotlight to be on them. I actually thought Ben Gordon was going to get the MVP. I was looking forward to him getting it. That's what I thought coming in. Just happened that the game went my way. So guys like myself and you see Nate Robinson, Charlie Villanueva did a great job out there tonight. Dwight Howard is known in this league. Everyone is just looking to be known as one of next players to be great in this league.
The participants in the Rookie Challenge were selected by the NBA’s assistant coaches, with each team submitting one ballot. The head coaches for the Rookie and Sophomore teams will be the lead assistants from the 2006 NBA All-Star Game coaching staffs. Sidney Lowe, Detroit Pistons assistant coach, will serve as the head coach for the Rookies and the Sophomores will be led by Dallas Mavericks assistant coach Del Harris. NBA Legends Elvin Hayes (Rookies) and Moses Malone (Sophomores) will serve as assistant coaches.
In last year’s contest, the Denver Nuggets’ Carmelo Anthony led the Sophomores to a 133-106 victory, and earned the Most Valuable Player award after scoring 17 of his 31 points in the second half.
Joining Bogut on the Rookie team were Luther Head of the Houston Rockets; Danny Granger and Sarunas Jasikevicius of the Indiana Pacers; Chris Paul of the New Orleans/Oklahoma City Hornets; Channing Frye and Nate Robinson of the New York Knicks; Charlie Villanueva of the Toronto Raptors; and Deron Williams of the Utah Jazz.
Teaming with Howard on the Sophomore team are Emeka Okafor of the Charlotte Bobcats, who is injured and will not participate; Luol Deng, Ben Gordon and Andres Nocioni of the Chicago Bulls; Devin Harris of the Dallas Mavericks; T.J. Ford of the Milwaukee Bucks; Nenad Krstic of the New Jersey Nets; Jameer Nelson of the Orlando Magic and Andre Iguodala of the Philadelphia 76ers.
If a rookie or second-year player is selected to play in the All-Star Game on Sunday, Feb. 19, he will also play in the Rookie Challenge on Friday evening.
This is the seventh year of the rookie-sophomore format with the Sophomores leading the series 4-2. The game will be played in two 20-minute halves, with each team allowed one full timeout and one 20-second timeout per half. There will be one mandatory TV timeout in each half. Individual foul totals will be kept, but a player can not foul out. A team will be in the penalty situation after 10 team fouls or after the second foul in the final two minutes of each half. In the event of a tie game, there will be a two-minute overtime to determine the winner. The Clock will stop after each successful field goal in the last minute of each half.
The NBA All-Star Game on Sunday, Feb. 19, will air live on TNT, Rogers Sportsnet and ESPN Radio at 8 p.m. EST. The game will also be telecast in 215 countries and broadcast on NBA.com.
The NBA Rookie Challenge rosters:
ROOKIE TEAM ROSTER
Player
Team
Pos.
Ht.
Wt.
School/Country
Andrew Bogut
Milwaukee
F
7-0
245
Utah
Luther Head
Houston
G
6-3
185
Illinois
Channing Frye
New York
F
6-11
248
Arizona
Danny Granger
Indiana
F
6-9
228
New Mexico
Sarunas Jasikevicius
Indiana
G
6-4
197
Maryland
Chris Paul
NOK
G
6-0
175
Wake Forest
Nate Robinson
New York
G
5-9
180
Washington
Charlie Villanueva
Toronto
F
6-11
240
Connecticut
Deron Williams
Utah
G
6-3
210
Illinois
Head Coach – Sidney Lowe, Detroit Pistons
Assistant Coach – Elvin Hayes
SOPHOMORE TEAM ROSTER
Player
Team
Pos.
Ht.
Wt.
School/Country
Luol Deng
Chicago
G/F
6-9
220
Duke
T.J. Ford
Milwaukee
G
6-0
165
Texas
Ben Gordon
Chicago
G
6-3
200
Connecticut
Devin Harris
Dallas
G
6-3
185
Wisconsin
Dwight Howard
Orlando
C/F
6-11
265
SW Atlanta Christian Academy
Andre Iguodala
Philadelphia
F
6-6
207
Arizona
Nenad Krstic
New Jersey
C
7-0
240
Serbia & Montenegro
Jameer Nelson
Orlando
G
6-0
190
Saint Joseph’s
Andres Nocioni
Chicago
F
6-7
225
Argentina
*Emeka Okafor
Charlotte
F/C
6-10
252
Connecticut
Head Coach – Del Harris, Dallas Mavericks
Assistant Coach – Moses Malone
* Will not participate due to injury
PREVIOUS NBA ROOKIE CHALLENGE RESULTS
1994 - Phenoms 74, Sensations 68
1995 - White 83, Green 79 (OT)
1996 - East 94, West 92
1997 - East 96, West 91
1998 - East 85, West 80
2000 - Rookies 92, Sophomores 81 (OT)
2001 - Sophomores 121, Rookies 113
2002 - Rookies 103, Sophomores 97
2003 - Sophomores 132, Rookies 112
2004 - Sophomores 142, Rookies 118
2005 - Sophomores 133, Rookies 106
Carmelo Anthony gave home fans a performance to be happy about.
With 2005 NBA All-Star events being hosted in Denver, Anthony, the star small forward of the Nuggets, has been the unofficial host of the weekend. And although he wasn't voted by fans or coaches to the all-star team, he stepped up tonight and won MVP of the 2005 Rookie Challenge.
"It's a wonderful feeling. You know, this is another positive thing I can put on my resume. It's a great feeling coming out here on my home court and getting MVP of the Rookie-sophomore Game," said Anthony after the game.
The Rookie Challenge game features the NBA's best "sophomores" (players who were rookies last season) against this season's top rookies. (Scroll down to the bottom of this page for exact rosters.)
Anthony finished with 31 points on 13-of-18 shooting to lead his Sophomore team to a 113-106 win. He also had five rebounds and two steals.
Toronto's Chris Bosh was also terrific for the Sophomores, scoring 26 on 9-of-13 shooting. He also grabbed a game-high 14 rebounds and a game-high four steals to go with three assists and no turnovers. Bosh was truly the best player in the game. But some hometown love helped Melo grab MVP honors.
"I enjoyed playing with everybody, no one particular person. Everybody shot the ball. The second half we stepped our defense up and we just went out there and played the right way," said Bosh.
Philadelphia's Kyle Korver, who will be competing in the three-point shootout Saturday night, showed his range and dropped in 21 points, entirely on three-pointers. He shot 7-for-10 from three-point range, and 0-for-1 from inside the arc.
Cleveland's LeBron James, who hasn't been feeling well lately and also is nursing a sore ankle, showed no ill-effects as he put in 20. And Carmelo certainly enjoyed playing on the same team as LeBron: "That boy got eyes on the front and back and both sides of his head," said Anthony. "He got eyes everywhere. He's always playing hard. Only thing I like about him, he looks for his teammates first, then he goes out there. He's not a selfish player. I can play with somebody like that all year long, maybe in the future we can get him out here in Denver."
Dwyane Wade was nice with the ball, dishing a game-high nine assists.
The Sophomores were off in the first half, not playing particularly well as individuals or a team, came alive in the second half and established their dominance.
For the Rookies, Boston's Tony Allen, who started at shooting guard, continues to put his name on the map with 17 points, two steals, and some nice slam finishes.
Chicago's Luol Deng showed his versatility. He finished with 17 points, four rebounds and five assists.
Boston's Al Jefferson came off the bench to provide 17 points and 11 rebounds.
Philadelphia's Andre Iguodala, who in InsideHoops.com's opinion belongs in the Slam Dunk contest, threw down some beauties. He had 11 points, seven rebounds four assists and two steals.
The Sophomore team hit 10 three-pointers (10-of-21), compared to just four (4-of-15) for the Rookies. And the Sophomore team won the rebounding battle, 46-36.
Rookie Challenge Preview
Orlando Magic forward Dwight Howard, the first overall selection in the 2004 NBA Draft and Cleveland Cavaliers guard LeBron James, the first overall selection in the 2003 NBA Draft and 2003-04 NBA got milk? Rookie of the Year, lead a list of 18 players selected to play in the 2005 got milk? NBA Rookie Challenge on Friday, February 18 in Denver at Pepsi Center.
The participants in the got milk? NBA Rookie Challenge were selected by the NBA’s assistant coaches with each team submitting one ballot. The head coaches for the Rookie and Sophomore teams will be the lead assistant from the 2005 NBA All-Star Game coaching staffs.
The got milk? Rookie Challenge will be televised live nationally on TNT in the United States and on Rogers Sportsnet in Canada at 7 p.m. MT/ 9 p.m. ET. Live audio broadcasts are available on ESPN Radio and on NBA.com in multiple languages.
Last year, the Sophomores defeated the Rookies, 142-118, with Amaré Stoudemire of the Phoenix Suns earning the Most Valuable Player award.
Howard will be joined on the Rookie team by Tony Allen of the Boston Celtics, Luol Deng and Ben Gordon of the Chicago Bulls, Devin Harris of the Dallas Mavericks, Andre Iguodala of the Philadelphia 76ers, Emeka Okafor of the Charlotte Bobcats, Josh Smith of the Atlanta Hawks and Beno Udrih of the San Antonio Spurs. Deng and Udrih are among the record number of 79 active international players in the NBA.
James is joined on the sophomore team by Carmelo Anthony of the Denver Nuggets, Chris Bosh of the Toronto Raptors, Udonis Haslem of the Miami Heat, Kirk Hinrich of the Chicago Bulls, Josh Howard of the Dallas Mavericks, Kyle Korver of the Philadelphia 76ers, Luke Ridnour of the Seattle SuperSonics and Dwyane Wade of the Miami Heat.
If a rookie or second-year player is selected to play in the All-Star Game on Sunday, he will also play in the got milk? NBA Rookie Challenge on Friday evening.
This is the sixth year under the current rookie versus sophomore format with the Sophomores leading the series, 3-2. The game will be played in two 20-minute halves, with each team allowed one full timeout and one 20-second timeout per half. Individual foul totals will be kept, but a player can not foul out. A team will be in the penalty situation after 10 team fouls or after the second foul in the final two minutes of each half. In the event of a tie game, there will be a two-minute overtime to determine the winner.
Tickets to the got milk? Rookie Challenge are priced at $40, and are now available at Pepsi Center box office, Ticketmaster outlets, Ticketmaster.com, NBA.com and 1-800-4NBA-TIX.
NBA All-Star Saturday Night presented by America Online, featuring Footlocker Three-Point Shootout, Playstation Skills Challenge, Radio Shack Shooting Stars and Sprite Rising Stars Slam Dunk will be broadcast live nationally at 8 p.m. EST by TNT and ESPN Radio. The NBA All-Star Game on Sunday, February 20 will be broadcast live nationally on TNT, Rogers Sportsnet, ESPN Radio and audio in multiple languages on NBA.com, from the Pepsi Center at 8 p.m. EST.
Below are the rosters for the 2005 got milk? Rookie Challenge:
2005 NBA ROOKIE CHALLENGE GAME
ROOKIE ROSTER
PLAYER
TEAM
POS.
HT.
WT.
FROM
Tony Allen
Boston
G
6-4
213
Oklahoma State
Luol Deng
Chicago
F
6-8
220
Duke
Ben Gordon
Chicago
G
6-3
200
Connecticut
Devin Harris
Dallas
G
6-3
185
Wisconsin
Dwight Howard
Orlando
F
6-11
250
SW Atlanta Christian Academy
Andre Iguodala
Philadelphia
F
6-6
207
Arizona
Emeka Okafor (*)
Charlotte
F/C
6-10
252
Connecticut
Josh Smith
Atlanta
F
6-9
225
Oak Hill Academy
Beno Udrih
San Antonio
G
6-3
203
Slovenia
SOPHOMORE ROSTER
PLAYER
TEAM
POS.
HT.
WT.
FROM
Carmelo Anthony
Denver
F
6-8
230
Syracuse
Chris Bosh
Toronto
F
6-10
235
Georgia Tech
Udonis Haslem
Miami
F
6-8
232
Florida
Kirk Hinrich
Chicago
G
6-3
186
Kansas
Josh Howard
Dallas
F
6-5
210
Wake Forest
LeBron James
Cleveland
F
6-8
245
St. Vincent-St. Mary HS
Kyle Korver
Philadelphia
F
6-6
211
Creighton
Luke Ridnour
Seattle
G
6-1
167
Oregon
Dwyane Wade
Miami
G
6-4
212
Marquette
* Feb. 17 Note: Boston's Al Jefferson replaces the injured Emeka Okafor.
PREVIOUS ROOKIE CHALLENGE RESULTS
1994- Phenoms 74, Sensations 68
1995- White 83, Green 79 (OT)
1996- East 94, West 92
1997- East 96, West 91
1998- East 85, West 80
2000- Rookies 92, Sophomores 81 (OT)
2001- Sophomores 121, Rookies 113
2002- Rookies 103, Sophomores 97
2003- Sophomores 132, Rookies 112
2004- Sophomores 142, Rookies 118
The AP reports: Oklahoma City’s Kevin Durant scored a Rookie Challenge-record 46 points to lead the NBA’s sophomores to a 122-116 victory over the rookies on Friday night. Durant shattered the record of 36 set by Phoenix’s Amare Stoudemire as a sophomore in 2004. Durant helped hold off a late charge by the rookies with a three-point play, an emphatic dunk and two free throws in the final minutes.
Oklahoma City Thunder forward Kevin Durant, the reigning Rookie of the Year, and Chicago Bulls guard Derrick Rose, the first overall pick in the 2008 NBA Draft, lead a list of 18 players selected for the 2009 NBA Rookie Challenge game to be held on Friday, Feb. 13 in Phoenix during NBA All-Star 2009.
Milwaukee Bucks forward Andrew Bogut, the first overall selection in the 2005 NBA Draft, and Orlando Magic forward Dwight Howard, the first player chosen in the 2004 NBA Draft, lead a list of 19 players selected to play in the 2006 Rookie Challenge on Friday, Feb. 17 at the Toyota Center in Houston.
Teaming with Howard on the Sophomore team are Emeka Okafor of the Charlotte Bobcats, who is injured and will not participate; Luol Deng, Ben Gordon and Andres Nocioni of the Chicago Bulls; Devin Harris of the Dallas Mavericks; T.J. Ford of the Milwaukee Bucks; Nenad Krstic of the New Jersey Nets; Jameer Nelson of the Orlando Magic and Andre Iguodala of the Philadelphia 76ers.