NBA ALL-STAR 2 BALL CONTEST

  • In 1998, the Nba organization replaced the Slam Dunk contest for the 2Ball.
  • In 2Ball, players alternate shooting from their choice of seven locations on the floor during the sixty second competition.
  • Players must shoot from one of seven locations marked on the floor. Each location is worth a different point value (2-8) based on its distance from the floor.
  • There are bonus’ and violations. The 10 bonus is given to the team that scores from each of the seven shooting spots. The 1 point violation is deducted when any team began before the official whistles, and the 10 points violations happens when any team finishes their 60 seconds without shoot from each position.
  • In the first edition, the NBA made good use of the contest to promote the WNBA (female NBA), a competition that started in summer ’97. The NBA introduced the league in the NBA All-Star Weekend with this contest.
  • Eight teams participated, representing all eight WNBA franchises. Each team had a man and a woman, who played in the same city.
  • This contest was replaced in 2002 for the Hoop-it-up tournament, and finally in 2004 with the Shooting Stars Contest.
  • Click on the years below to see more info regarding the contests.

1998 2Ball Contest

Team Houston, Clyde Drexler and Cynthia Cooper

  • The teams were Phoenix, Cleveland, Houston, Utah, Los Angeles, Charlotte, Sacramento and New York.
  • There were 2 rounds. In the first, each team had 60 seconds to get the best score. Two best teams passed to the final.
  • In the first round seven teams were very close (40-54 points), and the worst was Los Angeles (the big disappointment) with 27 points. Houston defeated Utah in the final 73-61. Houston duo made 12-16.
  • Clyde Drexler was almost perfect 7-8, after missing his first shoot (an eight points attempt) he hit his last seven attempts (6-4-5-6-7-8-6) to score 42 points.
  • Cynthia Cooper, who had been WNBA MVP, made 5-8 (7-2-2-3-7) to score 21 points.
    Utah used a different strategy.
  • Karl Malone attempted the long 8 points bombs while Tammi Reiss shot from the rest of the circles. They finished with 61 points. Both teams got the 10 points bonus.
  • Phoenix was the best team in the first round, but they missed the final because of the 10 points violation.


First Round 8P 7P 6P 5P 4P 3P 2P Vio. Bon. Total
Los Angeles: Bryant-Leslie 8 7 0 5 0 3 4 0 0 27
Cleveland: W. Person-M. Edwards 24 0 0 5 4 3 4 0 0 40
Charlotte: Rice-Stinson 24 7 0 5 4 0 4 0 0 44
New York: Houston-Lobo 16 7 6 10 0 3 2 0 0 44
Sacramento: Richmond-Bolton Holifield 16 14 6 0 4 3 4 0 0 47
Phoenix: Nash-Timms 40 7 12 0 0 0 0 -10 0 49
Utah: Malone-Reiss 16 7 6 5 4 3 2 0 10 53
Houston: Drexler-Cooper 8 14 6 5 4 3 4 0 10 54

 


Final 8P 7P 6P 5P 4P 3P 2P Vio. Bon. Total
Utah: Malone-Reiss 24 7 6 5 4 3 2 0 10 61
Houston: Drexler-Cooper 8 21 18 5 4 3 4 0 10 73

2000 2Ball Contest

Team Utah, Jeff Hornacek and Natalie Williams

  • Hornacek sunk a long seven points shot at the buzzer, breaking a 61-61 tie and giving the Utah team the victory.
  • Jeff Hornacek scored 6-8 from the seven points spot (42 points) and Natalie Williams shot 4-6 from the six points spot and a lay-up, making 26 points.
  • Phoenix team made 61 points. Jason Kidd 30 (5-8) and Jennifer Gillom 31 (5-7). Jeff Hornacek also won the AT&T 3 Point Shootout contest. Hornacek and Natalie Williams used an easy strategy, Hornacek shots from the left and Williams from the right.
  • In the first round, Utah totaled 75 points with the same impressive baseline shooting, while Phoenix scored 62 points.
  • Grant Hill and Jennifer Azzi, almost reached the final for Detroit with 59 points.
  • Cynthia Cooper, who won in 1998 with Clyde Drexler, couldn’t repeat. This time with Steve Francis, they only scored 38 points.
  • NBA wanted to involve fans in this contest. The pavilion was divided in 8 zones, each one played with a team.
  • The winner zone had a present and the chance to win half million of dollars in the case that the winner made a basket from the half-court, but Hornacek missed.
    In this edition, violations and bonus were not given.


First Round 8P 7P 6P 5P 4P 3P 2P Total
Washington: Hamilton-Holdsclaw 24 0 0 0 0 0 4 28
Los Angeles: Fisher-Leslie 0 7 6 10 4 0 2 29
Houston: Francis-Cooper 16 14 0 0 4 0 4 38
Sacramento: J. Williams-Griffith 24 0 6 10 0 0 2 42
New York: Houston-Hammon 8 28 6 0 0 0 2 44
Detroit: G. Hill-Azzi 0 21 24 10 0 0 4 59
Phoenix: Kidd-Gillom 16 28 12 0 4 0 2 62
Utah: Hornacek-N. Williams 0 49 24 0 0 0 2 75

 


Final 8P 7P 6P 5P 4P 3P 2P Total
Phoenix: Kidd-Gillom 24 21 6 0 8 0 2 61
Utah: Hornacek-N. Williams 0 42 24 0 0 0 2 68

2001 2Ball Contest

Team Sacramento, Peja Stojakovic and Ruth Bolton Holifield


First Round Total
Phoenix: Kidd-Reed 20
Houston: Mobley-Swoopes 35
Orlando: McGrady-Sales 41
Washington: Hamilton-McCray 43
Utah: Russell-N. Williams 44
Charlotte: Wesley-Staley 46
Cleveland: Langdon-Nemcova 49
Sacramento: Stojakovic-Bolton Holifield 66

 


Final Total
Cleveland: Langdon-Nemcova 57
Sacramento: Stojakovic-Bolton Holifield 62