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    NBA ALL-STAR SKILLS CHALLENGE – RULES, RESULTS, AND RECORDS

    • On Saturdays, in the All-Star Event almost each player has a chance to appear in the different contests and games: rookies, legends, leapers, shooters, women… so the NBA decided to create a new contest in 2003 for the playmakers.
    • The NBA All-Star Skills Challenge is a timed obstacle course that includes dribbling, passing, and shooting stations.
    • The Skills Challenge has been introduced in 2003 and the rules have changed for the contest starting 2015.

    2019 Skills Challenge

    2019 Winner: Jayson Tatum

    • The Skills Challenge was again played in knockout format. The field consisted of four tall and four shorter players, with both groups playing one finalist each.
    • Due to an injury, Spencer Dinwiddie (BKN) was unable to defend his 2018 title.
    • With a fantastic running 3-pointer from the mid-court line, Jayson Tatum (BOS) secured his victory over Trae Young (ATL) in the final round of the Skills Challenge.

    Participants

    • Mike Conley, MEM
    • Luka Doncic, DAL
    • De’Aaron Fox, SAC
    • Nikola Jokic, DEN
    • Kyle Kuzma, LAL
    • Jayson Tatum, BOS
    • Nikola Vucevic, ORL
    • Trae Young, ATL
    Round 1SemifinalsFinal
    Jokic beats VucevicTatum beats JokicTatum beats Young
    Tatum beats ConleyYoung beats Doncic
    Young beats Fox
    Doncic beats Kuzma

    2018 Skills Challenge

    2018: Spencer Dinwiddie Watch Skills Challenge Recap from NBA.com

    • Third time lucky for the GUARDS. Thanks to Spencer Dinwiddie accuracy, finally they defeated the BIGS at the NBA All-Star Skills Challenge.
    • Injured Kristaps Porzingis couldn’t defend his 2017 title.
    Players1st RoundSemifinalFinal
    Spencer DinwiddieDinwiddieDinwiddieDinwiddie
    Buddy Hield
    Lou WilliamsMurray
    Jamal Murray
    *Andre DrummondMarkkanenMarkkanen
    Lauri Markkanen
    Joel EmbiidEmbiid
    Al Horford

    * Andre Drummond substituted Kristaps Porzingis (left knee injury)
    * Buddy Hield substituted Donovan Mitchell (selected for the Slam Dunk Contest)

    2017 Skills Challenge

    2017: Kristaps Porzingis Watch Skills Challenge Recap from NBA.com

    • Second edition of the battle of the BIGS against the GUARDS at the NBA All-Star Skills Challenge, second time the BIGS win.
    • Kristaps Porzingis won the contest in his first appearance. After beating Jokic in semifinal with a very exciting three-pointer, he defeated Gordon Hayward the same way with a photo-finish ending.
    Players1st RoundSemifinalFinal
    Gordon HaywardHaywardHaywardPorzingis
    John Wall
    Isaiah ThomasThomas
    Devin Booker
    Anthony DavisJokicPorzingis
    Nikola Jokic *
    DeMarcus CousinsPorzingis
    Kristaps Porzingis

    * Nikola Jokic substituted Joel Embiid (right knee injury)

    2016 Skills Challenge

    2016: Karl-Anthony Towns Watch Skills Challenge Recap from NBA.com

    • Four point guards and four versatile big men, the first time in the history of the Skills Challenge that multiple non-guards competed.
    • Towns is by far the taller player to win the contest. Isaiah Thomas and him really wanted to win the contest. They both made the chest pass at the first attempt and after missing a few three-pointers, Karl Anthony Towns won the ‘photo-finish’ ending.
    Players1st RoundSemifinalFinal
    CJ McCollumMcCollumThomasTowns
    Jordan Clarkson
    Isaiah ThomasThomas
    Emmanuel Mudiay *
    Draymond GreenTownsTowns
    Karl-Anthony Towns
    DeMarcus CousinsCousins
    Anthony Davis

    * Mudiay replaces last year winner Patrick Beverley.

    2015 Skills Challenge

    2015: Patrick Beverley Watch Skills Challenge Recap from NBA.com

    • Beverley took the contest by surprise. He arrived as a substitute for John Wall, beat Isaiah Thomas with a last second layup, and in the last 2 rounds after some troubles with the passing station made a 3 pointer to defeat Jeff Teague and Brandon Knight.
    • Click below on player each round winners names to see the videos 
    Players1st RoundSemifinalFinal
    Isaiah ThomasBeverleyBeverleyBeverley
    Patrick Beverley*
    Jeff TeagueTeague
    Elfrid Payton*
    Trey BurkeKnightKnight
    Brandon Knight
    Kyle LowryLowry
    Dennis Schroeder*

    *Patrick Beverley, Elfrid Payton and Dennis Schroeder substituted respectively John Wall, Michael Carter-Williams and Jimmy Butler.

    2014-2003 Skills Challenge (old format)

    2014: Damian Lillard & Trey Burke Watch Skills Challenge Recap from NBA.com

    • Damian Lillard won his second consecutive title (third player to do it after Steve Nash and Dwyane Wade) in a different competition format. Players competed in pairs, completing the course both players. Passing stations were shortened from three passes to a single chest pass.
    • There were four players from East conference and four more from West conference. The pairs with the highest score from each conference after the first round competed on the final.
    Players1st RoundFinal
    Trey Burke40.6 sec.45.2 sec.
    Damian Lillard
    Michael Carter-Williams43.3 sec.45.3 sec.
    Victor Oladipo
    Giannis Antetokounmpo45.0 sec.
    DeMar DeRozan
    Goran Dragic42.3 sec.
    Reggie Jackson

    2013: Damian Lillard  Watch Skills Challenge Recap from NBA.com

    • Blazers rookie Damian Lillard got a big win, becoming the first player with 2 marks under 30 seconds in the same contest.
    • The players with the highest score from each conference after the first round will compete head-to-head on the final. Tony Parker lost his chances missing all the shot from the top of the key, and there were some laughs when Jeff Teague missed a layup.
    Players1st RoundFinal
    Damian Lillard28.8 sec.29.8 sec.
    Jrue Holiday29.3 sec.35.6 sec.
    Brandon Knight32.2 sec.
    Jeremy Lin35.8 sec.
    Tony Parker48.7 sec.
    Jeff Teague49.4 sec.

    2012: Tony Parker

    • Tony Parker needed 3 attempts to win this contest. That was the first time two players had to make a tiebreaker round to advance to the final.
    • Also, it was the first contest with 3 players with less than 30 seconds scores, all of them in the first round.
    Players1st RoundFinal
    Tony Parker29.2 sec.32.8 sec.
    Rajon Rondo *32.8 sec.34.6 sec.
    Deron Williams28.3 sec.41.4 sec.
    John Wall *32.8 sec.
    Russell Westbrook33.8 sec.
    Kyrie Irving42.2 sec.

    * Tie-breaker: Rajon Rondo 27.5 seconds and John Wall 45.4 seconds.

    2011: Stephen Curry  Watch Skills Challenge Recap from NBA.com

    Players1st RoundFinal
    Stephen Curry34.1 sec.28.2 sec.
    Russell Westbrook30.0 sec.44.2 sec.
    Derrick Rose35.7 sec.
    John Wall39.3 sec.
    Chris Paul42.7 sec.

    2010: Steve Nash

    Players1st RoundFinal
    Steve Nash35,0 sec.29,9 sec.
    Deron Williams34,1 sec.37,9 sec.
    Brandon Jennings35,7 sec.
    Russell Westbrook44,1 sec.
    Derrick RoseInjured

    2009: Derrick Rose

    Players1st RoundFinal
    Derrick Rose33,3 sec.35,3 sec.
    Devin Harris36,6 sec.39,7 sec.
    Mo Williams37,5 sec.
    Tony Parker50,8 sec.

    2008: Deron Williams

    Players1st RoundFinal
    Deron Williams31,2 sec.25,5 sec.
    Chris Paul29,9 sec.31,2 sec.
    Jason Kidd39,7 sec.
    Dwyane Wade53,9 sec.

    2007: Dwyane Wade

    Players1st RoundFinal
    Dwyane Wade31.3 sec.26.4 sec.
    Kobe Bryant29.8 sec.45.8 sec.
    Lebron James35.4 sec.
    Chris Paul39.6 sec.
    Steve NashInjured

    2006: Dwyane Wade

    Results1st RoundFinal
    Dwyane Wade39.0 sec.26.1 sec.
    LeBron James40.5 sec.33.7 sec.
    Chris Paul42.6 sec.
    Steve Nash52.8 sec.

    2005: Steve Nash

    Players1st RoundFinal
    Steve Nash31.4 sec.25.8 sec.
    Earl Boykins32.6 sec.37.6 sec.
    Luke Ridnour35.4 sec.
    Gilbert Arenas51.7 sec.

    2004: Baron Davis

    Players1st RoundFinal
    Baron Davis28.7 sec.31.6 sec.
    Derek Fisher31.6 sec.37.6 sec.
    Earl Boykins34.9 sec.
    Stephon Marbury36.4 sec.

    2003: Jason Kidd

    • 4 of the best point guards of the NBA were ready to inaugurate this contest and get the title of most complete point guard.
    • In the first round, each one of the 4 players improved the best time, arriving to the final two Oakland players: Gary Payton and Jason Kidd, with the best time for Payton.
    • In the final, Kidd almost repeated his semifinals time and it seemed that Payton would be the winner, but the Sonics player needed 5 second more than Kidd to complete all the stations.
    Players1st RoundFinal
    Gary Payton31.3 sec.35.1 sec.
    Jason Kidd35.3 sec.40.3 sec.
    Stephon Marbury41.9 sec.
    Tony Parker45.5 sec.

    Skills Challenge Rankings

    • In the new format, which was introduced with the 2015 edition, there is no longer a timekeeper and players compete in a head-to-head against each other.
    • The below rankings relate to the NBA Skills Challenge contests from 2003-2014.

    Fastest Players

    PlayersRoundYearTime
    Deron WilliamsFinal200825,5 sec.
    Dwyane WadeFinal200626.1 sec.
    Dwyane WadeFinal200726.4 sec.
    Rajon Rondo1st Round201227.5 sec.
    Stephen CurryFinal201128.2 sec.
    Deron Williams1st Round201228.3 sec.
    Baron Davis1st Round200428.7 sec.
    Damian Lillard1st Round201328.8 sec.
    Tony Parker1st Round201229.2 sec.
    Jrue Holiday1st Round201329.3 sec.
    Kobe Bryant1st Round200729.8 sec.
    Damian LillardFinal201329.8 sec.
    Chris Paul1st Round200829.9 sec.
    Steve NashFinal201029.9 sec.

    Worst Times

    PlayersRoundYearTime
    Dwyane Wade1st Round200853.9 sec.
    Steve Nash1st Round200652.8 sec.
    Gilbert Arenas1st Round200551.7 sec.
    Tony Parker1st Round200950.8 sec.

    Skills Challenge Rules

    Skills Challenge rules since 2015
    • The contest had a format change in 2015. The competition now consists in a bracket where two players will compete face to face each time without timekeeper.
    • There is also a big change on the different challenges of the contest. After the dribbling, pass and layup, each player has to make another layup on the opposite rim and come back to make a three shot to finish the lap.

    Skills Challenge rules 2003-2014

    1. First of all a layup.

    2. Easy zigzag dribbling.

    3 and 4. Put the ball in a basket making a ‘normal’ pass and a bounce pass.

    5. Score from the top of the key

    6. Another pass like station 3.

    7. Zigzag dribbling.

    8. Another layup to finish.