Damian Lillard and Jalen Brunson front a star-studded 3-Point Contest roster of participants in the coming All-Star Weekend.
One of the biggest highlights of the NBA All-Star Weekend is the 3-Point Contest, as it pits the league’s best shooters against each other in a riveting battle of outside marksmanship. This has produced plenty of memorable moments over the years, with Milwaukee Bucks star Damian Lillard, then with the Portland Trail Blazers, taking home the crown in 2023 in his third attempt to win the competition.
And it looks like Lillard, barring an unforeseen turn of events, will be back defending his 3-Point Contest crown. According to Shams Charania of The Athletic, Lillard has committed to join the 2024 iteration of the event on All-Star Saturday night in Indianapolis, with Bucks teammate Malik Beasley, first-time All-Star Jalen Brunson, first-time All-Star starter Tyrese Haliburton, and Lauri Markkanen all throwing their hat in the ring as well.
Three of the 2023 contestants will be returning, with Damian Lillard looking to hold off the likes of Haliburton, whom he faced in the finals of last season’s competition, and Markkanen, who didn’t have the best showing in his first 3-Point Contest appearance.
Meanwhile, it’s shaping up to be quite the weekend for New York Knicks star Jalen Brunson. Brunson has taken his game to an entirely different stratosphere as of late, and it’s his elite shooting from deep that’s causing this rise in production. He is shooting 41.3 percent from deep on 6.6 attempts per game — a career-best.
Five have already committed to joining the 3-Point Contest, so that leaves room for three more participants in the storied event. There are plenty of worthy candidates; Stephen Curry always has a seat on the table should he choose to compete, Trae Young might want to make a statement after he missed the All-Star roster entirely, while Buddy Hield could choose to join yet again as he tries to dazzle the crowd in Indianapolis.
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